


The Strongest Bonds

by Blenderguy15



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Mystery, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9122659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blenderguy15/pseuds/Blenderguy15
Summary: No one thought it could happen: a bunny and a fox tying the knot together. No one thought that someone would try to continue Bellwether's work, either. Now, two years after the Night Howler Case, newlyweds Nick and Judy are posed against a new threat that's willing to do whatever it takes to tear them and the city apart.





	1. Happy Days Ahead

**Hello! This is new for me; I've only ever used Fanfiction.net to post my stories. Time to broaden my horizons, or whatever. This was my first public writing project, and my first fanfiction. Written a week or so after first seeing the wonderful movie that is Zootopia, there are parts that make me - as a writer now - cringe, and there are parts that still make me wonder if _I_ wrote them, they were so good. I hope you all enjoy nonetheless, and if you can't wait for me to get around to uploading the next chatper, why not head on over to Fanfiction.net, where the  _entirety_ of the story is posted!**

How did it ever come to this?

He had conned so many animals without even a second thought. He had long since closed himself off to the rest of the world, happy to be what animal-kind wanted him to be. He had stopped truly caring years ago.

That is, until she came around.

That little bunny, filled with so much hope. She wasn't about to let anything crush her dreams, _especially_ a sly con artist like himself.

Of course, at that time, he wasn't about to let anybody in long enough to soften his heart. He also, at that time, never thought he'd be at the altar, marrying that same bunny.

Nick Wilde still remembered the day that he finally found the courage to propose to Judy Hopps. He had spent nearly all of the week before searching for the perfect ring, even though he got a few curious looks when he told who he was shopping for. He remembered the dinner date he had taken Judy on, and the movie after. While it wasn't the greatest movie out there, they had still enjoyed it. Nick fondly remembered the look of joyful surprise on Judy's face when he got down on one knee outside her apartment. He remembered her tears of joy, her wonderful laugh. He remembered her fluffy fur on his neck as she hugged him tightly. He was so proud of himself, keeping his head throughout the date.

Nick was now slipping the ring onto Judy's fuzzy finger. The bunny was dressed in a beautiful silk dress, the color almost as white as her paws. Her violet eyes shone brightly; Nick stared deeply into them, taken away by their beauty.

Judy blushed and shyly looked down at her paw. Nick chuckled and looked down as well. On her finger was a golden ring; there were no fancy engravings, no hidden love messages. Instead, right on top, was a small but breathtaking amethyst. The color was the same shade of purple as Judy's eyes; Nick loved the gem, for the moment he saw it in the jewelry store he instantly thought of Judy.

"By the power invested in me," said the priest, an elderly lion who still had a mighty roar in his throat. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Nick's heart skipped a beat; throughout their relationship, they had kissed many times and Nick had enjoyed every single one of them. This kiss, however, was different: it would connect him to Judy for the rest of his life. His throat starting to dry up, Nick glanced at his best man for support.

Benjamin Clawhauser, looking rather dapper in a tuxedo and bow tie, gave an excited nod and two thumbs up. Nick rolled his eyes subtly as he turned his eyes back to Judy. He could see the excitement in her eyes as well.

"Well, here goes nothing," thought Nick as he took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around her waist, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Judy was so happy.

She had always been an optimist, even during some dark times in her life. She would never stop trying to be a cop, even when Gideon Grey or other animals bullied her for it. But, when she was assigned parking duty, she had begun to question why she had ever tried in the first place.

That is, until he came around.

That clever fox, trying so hard to crush her spirits, until he ended up only lifting her higher than she had ever been before.

Of course, at first, she had been manipulating him with the promise of not going to jail for tax evasion. But, at first, she never would have thought that the sly fox would have had the heart to propose to her.

She was standing at the altar, paw in paw with her best friend and soon-to-be-husband Nick. She was surprised when he had popped the question about a month ago. She was even more surprised when her parents were alright with it - granted, they did have _quite_ a long talk with the fox. Her mother had almost instantly begun preparations for the wedding once everything was said and done.

Judy stared lovingly at the ring that Nick was placing on her finger. He had really picked out the perfect ring. She loved every part of it; granted, it was only a golden ring with an amethyst, but still, it was all that she needed. She stole a glance at Nick's ring. She and Nick had gone to pick it out the day after she said "Yes," going from jewelry store to jewelry store. None of the rings were what he wanted, but Judy would find one. Finally, and rather fittingly, in the same store where Nick found Judy's ring, there it was. The perfect ring for Nick. It was a small silver band, with a stream of emerald running around the circumference. The emerald was the exact same shade of green as Nick's eyes, which both Nick and Judy thought to be a rather big coincidence. They had to get the ring custom fitted, though, but soon they had Nick's ring as well. Judy smiled as she looked up at Nick.

To her joy and slight embarrassment, the fox was staring deeply into her eyes. All she could see in his eyes was a bottomless love for her, and it made her blush and look away. "He's such a charmer," she thought, giggling to herself.

"By the power invested in me," said the priest. Judy's heart began to beat faster, her nose quivering in excitement and nervousness. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Judy's heart skipped a beat. Here she was, about to share such a _meaningful_ kiss with Nick Wilde, a _fox_. Not that she minded, she just didn't see it coming. She glanced back to her bridesmaids. Fru Fru, Mr. Big's daughter, stood on a high stool, looking exceptionally beautiful in her little white dress. The little shrew smiled and motioned with her paws for the bunny to get a move on.

"Well, here goes nothing," thought Judy as she smiled and turned her eyes back to her beloved fox. Looking deeply into his emerald green eyes, she took in a deep breath, stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, and closed her eyes.

* * *

The crowd waited in a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Judy's family took up all the seats on the right side of the chapel. Bonnie and Stu Hopps looked proudly at their daughter with watery eyes. Their little girl was all grown up. They still could not _fully_ understand why Judy had chosen to marry a fox, but after seeing them together and after talking with Nick, the two bunnies were content with letting Judy be happy.

Nick was able to find his mother again and invite her to the wedding. She was so happy seeing Nick again, and even happier to know that he had turned himself around and had filled his heart with love again. She and Judy also seemed to really hit it off together, which was an added bonus.

Rachel, Nick's mother, now sat on the left side of the chapel, with a lot of Judy and Nick's police friends. Finnick even attended, but preferred to stay near the back; he wasn't one for fluff, but he would still be there for Nick. Mr. Big and his polar bears sat in the first and second rows, the kingpin looking very happy for the couple.

After vows had been said, Bonnie and Stu began to sob silently as both Judy and Nick replied, "I do." Stu hugged Bonnie close to him, their unspoken happiness for their daughter making itself known to anybody and everybody.

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," said the priest. The crowd took in a collective deep breath.

The bunny had to stand on her tiptoes, for the fox was a head taller than her. They embraced, both closing their eyes. Their lips locked, and the entire crowd exploded into applause. Bonnie and Stu now wept openly, and light tears began to stream down Rachel's face as she looked proudly at her son.

Nick and Judy broke the kiss and smiled deeply at each other. They then turned to the crowd, Nick meeting eyes with his mother, Judy with her parents. Rachel, Bonnie, and Stu were the happiest parents in all of Zootopia – no, in all of the world.

* * *

"This has got to be what love is like," Nick and Judy both thought.

They had finally locked lips, and everything melted away. It was only the fox and bunny, and no one else. Even the deafening applause from the crowd could not be heard by the couple. Nick began to lovingly pet Judy's ears, and she began to play with the fur on the back of his neck. Both Nick and Judy were lost in each other, now and forever.

Their momentary kiss lasted an eternity.

* * *

The reception quickly hit full swing. Rachel chatted with Bonnie and Stu. Rachel shared stories of Nick's childhood, and Bonnie and Stu shared stories of Judy's childhood; the fox and bunny were both embarrassed by some of them. Many of the guests were either dancing, eating, or chatting. Clawhauser was doing all three, and very happily at that.

Gazelle graciously accepted to sing during the reception, which only made Clawhauser all the more excited. She sang with only a guitar accompaniment, which the artist knew would set _just_ the right mood. She sang some of her best songs, Try Everything being one of them.

"I feel that this song speaks to you, Nick and Judy," Gazelle had said before the famous song. "For the both of you had tried everything, and pushed through when you did not succeed. May you two be happy for the years to come."

After more songs and dancing, the cake was carried out from the kitchen. It was quite an impressive cake, being only three levels tall. Half of the cake was carrot, the other half was red-velvet; the whole cake was covered with cream cheese icing. There were icing decorations of police badges, blue flowers, a meter maid hat, and a tie. Mixed feelings rushed through the fox and bunny upon seeing the cake; there were both good and bad memories associated with these decorations. However, the happier feelings were overpowering, and both Nick and Judy loved the cake.

Nick and Judy were sitting next to the cake, small bits of icing stuck in Judy's fur. After Nick and Judy had cut the cake, Nick had taken a piece and was about to feed it to Judy. The bunny, both hungry and happy that Nick would be so nice, had been surprised when Nick had promptly placed the cake on her face. The crowd had laughed, as well as Nick. Judy, angry but laughing, had tried to return the favor, but Nick was too quick, swiping the cake from her paw and quickly eating it.

Stu stood up and tapped his glass with a fork, bringing everyone to attention. The bunny cleared his throat and began his speech. "I still remember the play that my little Judy put on for the talent show back in Bunny Burrow. Now, while it is not my happiest memory, and I quickly erased the video from my camcorder soon after, I still remember Judy's excitement about being a cop. She was always so stubborn, always trying no matter how many times she failed. Now, while she would have been happy settling like us," he turned to Judy and snickered a little. Judy did so too. "Seeing her this happy today made me realize I would not have done anything differently. Judy, you deserve this, and I'm just happy I got to see you grow into a beautiful, independent bunny."

"Dad, you're not _that_ old," Judy said, smiling. "You and I both know that you'd still be around for this!"

Stu raised his hands in mock defense and surprise. "Oh no, I didn't mean it that way. I was worried you wouldn't survive working on the force!" With that, the entire crowd laughed.

The reception lasted another two hours, Nick and Judy dancing with each other most of the time. They chatted with anyone and everyone, even the guests that they didn't really know that well. Judy shared a dance with Stu, and Nick danced with Rachel. Bonnie and Stu danced as well, surprising everyone with some amazing moves.

After their dance, Bonnie and Stu walked over to the punch bowl for refreshments. Nick and Judy approached the bunny couple; Judy wanted some answers about her parents' hidden talent. "Where did you guys learn to dance like that?" Judy asked.

Bonnie replied, "Honey, we were known as the Hoppin' Hopps back in high school."

"The best dancers in all the school," Stu butted in, smiling as memories began to form in his head. "No one could out-dance us in the talent show." The four of them shared a good laugh after that.

Later, while Nick and Judy were chatting with the other officers, Judy noticed Rachel sitting alone at one of the tables, a sad smile on the vixen's face. Judy excused herself from the group and walked over to the table.

"Mrs. Wilde," Judy said, taking the seat next to the vixen.

Rachel held up a paw to politely stop the bunny. "Please, Judy, call me Rachel," the vixen said, the smile on her muzzle now warm.

Judy smiled sheepishly and ducked her head in embarrassment; it still felt strange to use the vixen's first name. "Sorry," Judy apologized. "I just wanted to know where Mr. Wilde is. You shouldn't spend a time like this alone."

Rachel's smile became sad again as some of the light left her auburn eyes. Judy's ears drooped as she realized she may have crossed upon a touchy subject.

"Nick was too young to remember him," she said sadly, her gaze now downcast. "All I've ever told him was that Victor was - _is_ a great man,"

Rachel sighed, her eyes growing misty. "But soon after Nick was born, Victor's job became too much to handle. Victor," she paused, seemingly looking for the correct word. "He left us." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Rachel looked back at her daughter-in-law.

It was Judy's turn to harbor a downcast gaze. "I'm sorry," she said.

Rachel laughed lightly. "Judy, we all have our dark times. Luckily, Nick was too young to be affected by it all. But come on, now's not the time to talk about sad memories; I have to celebrate my son's marriage, don't I?"

Judy smiled as she raised her head, her guilt vanishing under the vixen's warm gaze. Judy gave Rachel a hug before returning to Nick's side. The vixen watched her son and daughter-in-law embrace; a sight Rachel had doubted she'd see. Chuckling to herself, Rachel wiped a joyful tear from her muzzle.

The reception slowly began to die down, but not before a surprise karaoke contest broke out. Nick surprised the entire crowd with a near-perfect rendition of "Unchained Melody" for Judy, but Clawhauser was _very_ excited to duet with Gazelle. The rest of the reception was fun and lighthearted as more singing and dancing broke out among the crowds.

Finally, the time had come for Nick and Judy to drive back home; they had a week-long honeymoon to pack for. Nick had bought a new car _just_ for this. It was a white convertible, with adjustable leather seats. It also had a police radio and an attachable siren in case they needed to quickly get some police work done.

The crowd was standing outside the chapel, the petals that they had thrown flowing with the breeze. Judy smiled at Nick and then threw her bouquet. The bridesmaids all clamored excitedly as they tried to catch the flowers. To their surprise, Clawhauser broke through and triumphantly caught the bouquet with one paw, striking a superhero pose after realizing the flowers were in his hand.

Judy giggled and Nick rolled his eyes with a smile. Nick then walked Judy around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door to let her in. Judy smiled with approval and climbed into the seat, which was already set to be as comfortable as possible for her; Nick had made sure of that. Nick then walked back around and climbed into the driver's seat. With a wave, he and Judy drove away, family and friends giving their "goodbyes" and "good lucks."

The drive home was short and quiet, both Nick and Judy too excited to say anything. They arrived at Judy's apartment after about five minutes of driving, and quickly exited the car and entered the small room.

"Oh, what a day," Judy said, falling onto the rickety bed with a sigh. Nick smiled as he untied his bow tie.

"You could say that again, Carrots," replied Nick, using his pet name for the bunny.

Judy giggled. "I think I'm going to shower," she began, picking herself up from the bed. "Then how does a movie and dinner sound?"

Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around Judy and pulling her into a quick kiss. He was never going to get tired of the taste of her lips. "That sounds wonderful. Hurry, though, or I may just go get something to eat without you."

"You'd do that, wouldn't you?" she retorted. Nick merely nodded.

"I didn't get any cake at the party," he said, mischief filling his emerald eyes. "You kept it all to yourself."

Judy quickly punched him in the shoulder. " _You_ covered me with it!"

"Yeah, and _you_ didn't share!"

Judy shook a fist at him, although her smile betrayed the motion. "I'll shower before you suffer my knuckle sandwich jokes."

"Thank God," Nick said jokingly. The sound of the shower turning on could be heard behind the bathroom door. Nick took the chance to change into something more comfortable; a green T-shirt and khaki pants with his signature loose tie. He looked down at the ring on his finger.

He had done it. He had married his best friend. He smiled to himself, feeling prouder than when Judy first handed him his badge when he graduated from the academy. He didn't let Judy down then, and he certainly wouldn't let Judy down now.

He was going to be the best partner, friend, and husband he could be for Judy.

 

 


	2. Dreams, Flowers, and Picnics

If Nick could sweat, he would definitely be sweating now. Never before was he so nervous, but never before was he about to be a father.

He was standing in the hospital delivery room, looking at Judy with worry. She was on the hospital bed, a pale blue sheet covering her from her belly down. The nurse, a well-practiced otter, was calmly telling her to breathe.

"You can do it, Judy," she would say gently. "Just push."

Nick cringed when he heard her pained screams, and more than once had to look away. Finally, Judy's screams stopped, and a new scream filled the room. The scream of a newborn kit.

"It's a girl," said the nurse, lifting the small mammal from under the sheet. "And she's beautiful."

"Let me see," said Judy, her fur drenched in sweat.

The nurse swaddled the kit and handed the tiny mammal to Judy. The bunny's eyes began to tear up as she looked at her offspring.

"She's so. . . so," she couldn't find the right word. At this time, Nick walked over and peeked over Judy's shoulder.

"So cute," he said simply, and Judy giggled.

The mammal really was cute. She was small, at least to Nick, but Judy held her comfortably. Her pointed ears were almost as long as Nick's; her fur was a beautiful shade of dark red, with wonderful splashes of white on her paws and face. Her face was what made Nick's heart skip a beat, though. She was the spitting image of her mother, with huge amethyst eyes, and a small quivering nose.

"What shall we name her?" asked Judy. Nick stared lovingly at his daughter as he thought.

"Sierra," he said after a moment. "Sierra sounds nice."

Judy smiled. "Hello, little Sierra,"

The little kit smiled, and Nick's heart melted. All of the sudden, Nick's ears were violently pierced by the child's deafening cries.

He grimaced and covered his ears with his paws, but it didn't help. The child kept crying, short bursts of noise at regular intervals. Almost like a …

Nick woke up to the alarm, his eyes frantically analyzing his surroundings. He was back in the apartment, laying on a rickety bed. He finally calmed down and took a deep breath. He had been having this same dream for the past seven nights of their honeymoon. He had thought the dreams would stop now that they were home, but last night's dream had proven him wrong.

He smiled as the thought of Judy flooded his mind. His little bunny, so full of energy. He turned to his left and saw that Judy was stretching. He studied her silhouette carefully. She was so. . . so, he couldn't find the right word.

"Gorgeous," he thought as he carefully reached out his arm. The back of his finger met the back of her neck, causing Judy to jump straight off the bed and into the air with a yelp.

"Nick!" she cried, her hair on end and her heart beating a thousand times per second. "Don't DO that!"

Nick chuckled. "I couldn't help it, Carrots," he said.

Judy poked her tongue out at him and then made her way to the bathroom. "Come on, Nick," she said. "Or we're gonna be late,"

"I'm getting out o—"

"Again," said Judy, her head peeking out from the bathroom door with a look of mock disapproval. Nick rolled his eyes and reluctantly climbed out of bed.

As he changed, he thought back to the dream. Not for the first time, he found it odd that he would dream about he and Judy having kids. Was he really _that_ ready for the future? Could he even get Judy pregnant?

"Hasn't hurt trying," part of him said immediately, happily recollecting on the many fun nights over the past week.

"It would never work, I'm a fox, she's a bunny," the other part retorted. "Besides, we could always adopt."

Nick's internal struggle was pierced by Judy's gentle yet demanding voice. "Nick, come on! We can't get donuts if you don't hurry up!"

This caught Nick's attention. He always enjoyed their little escapades to and from work. He quickly donned his badge and reflective Aviator sunglasses as he followed Judy out the door.

* * *

After purchasing donuts and coffee, Nick and Judy made it to the station with five minutes to spare. They walked into the station and were met with a very happy "Well hello you two lovebirds!" from Clawhauser.

"Hello Ben," said Judy.

"Any good plans later today?" the cheetah asked.

"No, not really," Nick said calmly. Of course, they had plans, but Nick didn't feel like telling. He was still keeping _this_ particular date a surprise for Judy.

Clawhauser chuckled and took another bite of his Lucky Chomps cereal. "Well, the chief is waiting in the bullpen for you guys," he leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper. "I hear we may actually have some exciting cases today!"

Judy and Nick smiled. "Thanks for the heads up," Nick said. Clawhauser nodded.

"Anything I can do to help the greater good," he said dramatically. "Now run along you two, _I_ have some _very important_ business to see to."

Nick and Judy walked to the briefing room, but not without hearing Gazelle declare, "You are one hot dancer, Benjamin Clawhauser."

In the briefing room, Nick and Judy sat together in the front row. All of the other animals were at least four times their size, and the ruckus was nearly deafening.

"All right you lot, quiet down!" he bellowed, bringing all of the animals to attention. "We have a few, more active cases today. Recently, there have been a few robberies around the city. Nothing too major, but the most that we have seen since the Night Howler Case. We have two banks and a florist's shop. Here are the officers who are taking the three cases: Delgado, Grizzoli, and Fangmire will take the Furs Zootopia Bank; McHorn, Francine, and Adams will take the Bank of Zootopia. Finally, Wilde and Hopps, you'll be checking up on our florist," Chief Bogo finished.

"Chief, don't feel like you need to give us an easy case just because we just got back from our honeymoon," said Judy.

"I'll have you know, Officer Hopps, that I don't quite care that you just had your honeymoon. I'm giving you the case because the shop is right across the street from one of our bank robberies, and I find that to be too much of a coincidence. So, to make sure that no one sees that we _may_ be getting on to them, I'm having you two check it out."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that a fox and bunny working _together_ won't catch any attention at all, Chief," Nick remarked, a sly smile on his face. Bogo shot him a death glare.

"I want you to find out anything that could be of importance, and then leave a report on my desk before you leave," Chief Bogo said. "Unless you'd rather have parking duty, Wilde?"

Nick smiled sheepishly; he had come to hate being a meter maid, even if he worked with Judy.

Judy and Nick saluted. "Will do, sir," said Judy as she and Nick left the briefing room.

* * *

"So Carrots, do we have a plan?" asked Nick between bites of his donut. Judy's mouth was full at the moment, so she held up a finger to let Nick know that she was about to talk. Nick noticed the ring on her paw and smiled. It was such a pretty ring.

Judy swallowed her donut and took a sip of coffee to wash it down. "Yes, Nick, we do. We go in, ask a few questions, see if anything _really_ important was taken, and then head back."

Nick smiled. "I like that plan."

They arrived at the shop shortly, a group of cops already at the bank across the street. Finishing their donuts and coffee, the fox and bunny hopped out of the car and walked into the shop, a bell above the door making their presence known.

"Hello?" Nick called out. It was oddly quiet in the shop. There were plants nearly everywhere, giving the atmosphere of a dense jungle. None of the light from the windows reached more than two feet into the shop, and the air was thick with moisture.

"It feels like the Rainforest District in here," said Judy, her fur beginning to feel heavy. Nick gave the air a quick sniff; there were no unnatural smells, other than the concoction of different flowery aromas.

"H-Hello?" asked a timid voice. The air was so thick that the voice was muffled, but the super-sensitive ears of Judy Wilde quickly honed in on the sound. "I-is anybody there?"

"I'm Officer Judy Hopps, and this is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde," Judy said gently. "We are here only to ask you a few questions about what happened two days ago."

There was a rustle of foliage, and a shy yak walked into view. Immediately Judy and Nick were reminded of Yax, their "naturalist" friend. The only difference with this bovine was that his hair was not as shaggy, and there were quite a few noticeable gray streaks through his fur. He wore a pair of half-moon glasses that rested crookedly on his snout and wore a brown sweater vest and green denim jeans in spite of the fact that is was about ninety degrees in the store.

"Hello, officers," said the florist timidly. "M-my name is Stephen Hornsmith. Please, follow me to the back. I'll take your questions there."

Nick and Judy followed the yak through the dense foliage that filled the shop. Judy recognized many of the plants, whereas Nick just saw a whole lot of green.

In the back was a small office that starkly contrasted the greenery of the shop. It was a simple room, but it kept very clean and organized. That is, except for one corner of the room, where a pile of files lay in a mess.

Mr. Hornsmith took a seat behind the desk and timidly motioned for Nick and Judy to take a seat. The fox and bunny did so, and Judy quickly pulled out a pen and notebook.

"Mr. Hornsmith, could you tell us what you were doing the night of the robbery?" she began.

The yak nodded and took in a shaky breath. "I was back here, going through my files. I like to keep everything organized; it makes running my business easier. I had already closed my shop, so when I heard the bell above the door, I was a little startled. I remember getting up and calling out to see who was there, but either my plants muffled my voice, or the intruder completely ignored me.

"I walked out of my office to see if anybody was actually there, or if my stressed mind had played any tricks on me. The rustling of my plants confirmed that I was not going crazy. I walked a little further out into my 'jungle,' only to still not see anybody. Suddenly, I was hit in the back of the head, and everything went fuzzy. I remember falling to the ground and hearing footsteps in my office. I managed to just barely lift my head and look behind me. A tall figure was rummaging through my files, searching for something. I was so distraught; he was ruining my hard work! He finally found the file he was looking for and quickly scanned the contents.

"I remember him walking back out, and then I lost him again! I believe his fur had something to do with it; not many animals can successfully hide in my shop. My head was starting to really hurt by this time, but I was still able to hear the intruder rummaging through my seed stores for a few minutes. Finally, I heard the bell ring again, and he was gone. I then started to drift out of consciousness, so I couldn't call the police.

"The next day, I woke up, having forgotten the whole ordeal. That is, until I saw the state of my office."

"Why didn't you call the police sooner?" Nick asked.

"I would have," said the yak defensively. "But I at least wanted to have my office in some sort of shape before you came searching. If everything was organized, I'd be able to tell you exactly where to find something. Unfortunately, I became too worried about what the intruder had stolen that I finally called the police."

"A full twenty-four hours after the robbery?" Nick asked incredulously. "Mr. Hornsmith, what if you were really hurt?"

Mr. Hornsmith chuckled. "My head is harder than it looks, Officer."

"Do you know what the intruder took?" asked Judy. The yak turned to the pile of files still on the floor.

"Not yet. I still have a few more files to go through. Once I go through them, I'll be able to see what he stole. I keep a very strict inventory system. But, until then, I can't be of much help there."

Nick nodded. "Then we'll get out of your fur for now, Mr. Hornsmith. Give us a call when you know what they stole. It may be able to help us track the thief down."

Mr. Hornsmith nodded. "That sounds like a very good idea."

Judy quickly wrote the number for their department and handed the slip of paper to the bovine. "I hope everything turns out alright for you, Mr. Hornsmith."

The yak smiled. "I hope so too." He led them through his jungle and out of the front door. "Thank you again for your help!"

With that, the yak closed the door behind him. Nick and Judy climbed back into the car and drove back to the station. They had a report to write.

* * *

"Nick, where are we going?" asked Judy. Nick had her blindfolded as he drove around town.

"I've told you Carrots, it's a secret," said Nick, seeing the parking lot for the small park. He had found this park once in his conning days. It was a nice place just to walk and had a beautiful hill with a tree on top; the most cliché picnic spot.

"Oh, I can't take it, Nick! You know how much I hate waiting!"

"We're here, don't worry. Hold this, please?" Nick handed the blind bunny a basket.

"What's this?" she asked, feeling it over to get an idea of what it was.

"Well, it'll be on the ground if you're not careful with it. I need you to hold it while I lead you along a little further. Do you think you can take care of that?" Nick asked with a hint of tease in his voice. Judy scoffed.

"You're talking to the bunny that saved _both_ of our lives from a savage jaguar by swinging on a vine, and I didn't drop anything then! I think we'll be fine."

"You _did_ let go, though," was Nick's retort. He smiled as he saw her mouth frown at his comment. She didn't say anything in return.

"Alright, let's go. Easy now, Carrots." Nick said, gently escorting the blinded bunny through the park. Nick took a chance to look around. It was a lovely afternoon, the sky just now beginning to turn pink. The air smelled of honeysuckle, and the breeze was cool and gentle. A perfect day.

"Are we there yet?" asked Judy. "I'm about to drop this basket out of impatience!"

"Alright, alright," Nick said in mock concern. "We're almost there! Don't try anything hasty, Carrots, come on."

"Is it a present?" asked Judy. "Why else would you be so worried if I dropped it?"

Nick shrugged, but Judy did not see it. "Eh, it's more like if you dropped it, we wouldn't have any dinner to eat."

Judy's ears drooped. "Oh," she said.

Nick chuckled. "Don't worry. That doesn't mean I didn't get you a present,"

Judy's ears lifted back up. Over the past week, Nick had spoiled her with small gifts; anything from a little necklace to a new movie to watch together. While she really didn't need the presents and had told him so, Nick found that it was fun expressing his love for her in this way. But he enjoyed another way even more.

"Here we are," Nick said, finally taking the blindfold off of Judy. Judy's bright amethyst eyes widened as she saw the pink silk blanket under the large oak tree.

She covered her mouth with her paws after setting the basket down, taking in the adorable scene. Nick wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"So Carrots, what do you think?"

Judy smiled brightly and looked up at Nick. "I think I love you," she said.

Nick chuckled and pulled Judy into a kiss. The bunny wrapped her arms around his neck; Nick had to get down on one knee for it to be comfortable for her. Nick hugged her tightly, not willing to let her go just yet. He felt her paws play with the fur on the back of his neck, giving him goosebumps. He gently broke the kiss, staring deeply into Judy's eyes.

Judy stared back, a very satisfied look on her face. All of the sudden, her stomach growled very loudly, startling the both of them. Judy chuckled in embarrassment. "I also think that I'm _really_ hungry."

Nick chuckled too. "Well then, we'd better fix that." He picked Judy up and carried her to the picnic blanket, Judy laughing in surprise. Placing her down gently, Nick walked back and obtained the basket. After setting it on the blanket, Nick reached inside and pulled out a box of Chinese food.

Judy's eyes widened. "You got Panda Express!? That place is so good!"

Nick chuckled. "Only the best for you. Now, open up," he said, using a pair of chopsticks to pick up a portion of fried rice. He gently placed the food into the waiting mouth of Judy, who happily ate up the rice.

They spent the rest of the evening at that park, feeding each other and joking around. Finally, the sky had turned a stark crimson, and the happy couple began wrapping their picnic up. As Judy began to walk back to the car, Nick gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Hey, Judy, stay a minute," Nick said. Judy was a little surprised; it was a very rare occasion when Nick didn't use his pet name for her.

"Is something wrong, Nick?" Judy asked, sitting next to him. The fox looked down at her.

"No, I just want to watch the sunset with you," he said simply. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. "Of course, it won't be nearly as beautiful as you."

Judy laughed at the comment and shot Nick a look. The fox shrugged. "What? Too fluffy?"

Judy nodded with a smile and rested her head against his shoulder. The sun colored the horizon a beautiful shade of red, the violet clouds a wonderful contrast.

Right now, all Nick wanted was to keep Judy by his side, resting on his shoulder.

**Panda Express still works, since pandas** **_do_ ** **exist in Zootopia! Also, shout-out to Sierra (sierra.stanley.52) over on fanfiction.net for giving me the idea for the beginning of this chapter!**

 


	3. Nick's Challenge (kind of)

The Tundra Town night air was icy, biting at any uncovered fur, and any breath could be seen as a small but thick cloud of fog.

The cloaked figure leaned against a frost-covered street lamp, the light barely strong enough to allow any bystander to register the figure's existence. Cool, calculating blue eyes analyzed their target: a small flower shop across the street. It was very quaint; no one would really notice if it was hit.

Finally, the owner, a middle-aged cougar with a streak of stark white fur running from his right cheek up and around his head until it was hidden from sight under the cougar's thick vest, left the shop. His assistant, a stunning yet rather annoyed vixen, stayed behind to finish cleaning up. The figure grinned cruelly; she wouldn't put up much of a fight.

After the owner turned the corner, the cloaked figure pushed off of the lamp post and briskly walked across the street. He quietly turned the doorknob, slid in, and just as quietly closed the door.

The night sky cast the contents of the shop in a dark blue light, reminding the figure of the jungle. He grinned again; he liked the jungle. He took a few steps, his night-vision eyes scanning the room for that assistant. His ears perked as the sound of her accidentally spilling on herself a bucket of what he guessed to be the water she was mopping with.

"Aww, gross!" he heard her say. "And this was my favorite dress, too!"

The figure rolled his eyes and made his way to the back of the shop. He glanced left and right, searching for any sign of where the shop's seed stores were located. The vixen's grumbling was getting louder, as was the sound of her putting away the cleaning supplies.

"Sure," she was saying. "Have me stay behind to clean up, he says. He _knows_ how much I hate the closing shift!"

She turned to leave the closet, only to come face to face with the figure. The intruder did nothing, but the vixen was severely startled. She jumped back with a yelp, slipping in the puddle of dirty water on the floor and collapsing on her cleaning supplies. She was out cold, and would stink like a wet dog in a few hours. The figure rolled his eyes, took the keys from the unconscious vixen, and locked the closet door behind him.

He returned to the front of the shop, searching for what he thought to be the seed stores. He found the group of cabinets he was looking for and briskly walked over. He opened door after door, his night-vision making the contents known without a flashlight. He smiled; the seeds were all here, organized and cataloged just for him.

After going through the first two cabinets, he finally found the seeds he was looking for. He pulled out a small plastic bag from in his cloak and filled it. Closing the cabinet and sealing the bag, the figure gave the shop one more glance. Satisfied, he tossed the keys into a nearby fern and left the shop just as quietly as he had entered.

He walked to his left, opposite the direction the cougar had walked. Not another creature in Tundra Town stirred the rest of the night.

* * *

Judy sighed happily as she stepped back, admiring her handiwork. The table was covered with a silk cloth and a silver candlestick holding the candle that doused the dark room in a warm glow. For a more romantic atmosphere, Judy had closed all of the windows and curtains. On the table were two plates, both ready to be topped with the delicious meal Judy had prepared.

Judy had spent many a lunch date to learn all of Nick's favorite foods, trying anything from burritos to lobster. She had learned that Nick was surprisingly easy to please; his favorite snack was blueberries, and his favorite meal was actually a stew his mother used to make for him on rainy days. Judy had obtained the recipe from Rachel the day of the wedding, and now Judy finally had the right opportunity to apply this knowledge: a lunch date with Nick while he was on his break and she had the day off.

The meal was very simple, yet filled the room with many intoxicating smells that would make any stomach grumble. The stew was easy; it contained a simple blend of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and corn, small chunks of meat, and some common spices, all cooked in a meaty broth. Judy, being a bunny, had a few interesting looks at the grocery store as she went about purchasing the ingredients. Judy also made a blueberry salad with a small drizzle of a balsamic vinaigrette.

Judy felt a wave of giddiness rising inside of her, giving a burst of joy and energy as she imagined Nick's reaction as he got home. He would be so happy. He'd probably kiss her on the spot. He'd probably want to stay home the rest of the day.

Judy's phone rang, pulling her away from her fantasies. She smiled as she saw Nick's face on her phone; it was a picture they had taken together the day that Nick had graduated from the academy. Judy answered the phone, putting on her sweetest voice.

"Why, hello honey," she said. "How are you today?"

She virtually saw Nick roll his eyes. "Come on, Carrots. You can think of something _at least_ a little better than, 'Why, hello honey,' can't you?" Nick said, giving the bunny his best impression of her voice.

She gave a small laugh. "Well, when I'm put on the spot, it gets hard to think; I _am_ just a dumb bunny after all."

Nick chuckled. "You're _my_ dumb bunny, Carrots," he said.

"I know," she said. "It gets hard to forget when you tell me _all_ _the time_!"

"How else will you remember?" the fox asked. "You said so yourself: you are just a dumb bunny."

Judy growled at him mockingly; she had really walked into that one. Nick laughed on the other end of the line.

"I hope you aren't just calling to antagonize me, Nick," Judy said. "Or else you're not getting the special lunch I've made for you."

"Hey, about that," Nick began; his tone told Judy that there was going to be some bad news. Her ears drooped as she braced herself. "I can't make it to lunch today, Judy. Another shop was hit, and Bogo has me heading to Tundra Town to ask the assistant some questions."

Judy's heart fell into her stomach; all of her hard work had just gone down the drain.

"Judy, I'm sorry. If I had known you had this planned, I would've tried to take my lunch earlier," Nick began; Judy imagined Nick at the moment, ears folded back, his eyes filled with guilt. Judy smiled sadly.

"Don't worry, Nick," she said. "It's alright. More for me,"

"Listen, Judy, I'll make it up to you," Nick said. "I promise."

Judy spirits lifted slightly; Nick's word, she had learned, was _very_ strong and reliable. "You better," she said. "Because this could be the _last_ time I ever cook for you, you silly fox."

"Then what will I eat? Microwave carrots?" Nick retorted.

Judy giggled softly. "Alright, Nick, see you later. I love you."

"I love you too, Carrots."

Judy hung up and looked around her apartment. She still felt down, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She'd let this turn into a romantic dinner date!

She quickly wrapped the top of the salad bowl with plastic wrap and set the bowl in the refrigerator. She pulled out her little slow-cooker and poured the stew inside. Setting the time, she allowed the stew to simmer in the slow-cooker; a little trick she had learned from her mother. She quickly cleaned the table up, gently placing the silk cover in a drawer. She opened the windows back up and let the afternoon breeze waft inside the apartment. Taking a deep breath, Judy began to feel her spirits rise again.

She would tell Nick her surprise tonight.

* * *

After Judy hung up, Nick couldn't help but feel guilty; Judy had worked so hard on a lunch for the two of them, only to be told that he wasn't going to be there. Knowing Judy, though, she wouldn't stay down for long. The thought made Nick smile as he pulled up to the florist's shop.

It was a very quaint shop; no big attention-drawing signs or colorful displays. This shop specialized in winter plants, which meant the only colors in the shop were the dull greens of the plants. Nick shivered as he exited the car, a gust of air deciding to blow at that exact moment. Nick pulled his collar tighter and briskly walked inside.

The temperature difference was minuscule, if there were any difference at all. Nick rubbed his paws together, occasionally blowing into them to generate some warmth. Nick began to analyze his surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary. There did not seem to be anything out of place, which concerned Nick. Though, right now, he should be concerned with the victimized vixen...

"Why, hello officer!" the vixen trilled startling Nick. He turned to his right, towards the sound. The vixen was standing behind one of the ferns, staring at Nick with half-lidded eyes. "I didn't know you'd be a _fox_."

There was something about the way the vixen emphasized the word "fox" that sent uncomfortable shivers down Nick's spine. Trying to be professional, though, Nick quickly regained his posture.

"Well, I am the ZPD's first fox cop," Nick said coolly. The vixen's eyes widened in approval.

"Well, isn't _that_ something," she said, walking towards Nick, her tail swinging in rhythm with her hips. Nick caught himself staring, and quickly glanced away.

"If you don't mind, uh," Nick said, gesturing with his hands to make known his unspoken question: what is your name?

"Vivian," the vixen replied. "Vivian Rose. _You_ may call me Fifi, though. _All_ of my . . . closest friends do."

Nick pretended not to hear the last bit that Vivian had said. "Vivian, I need to ask you some questions about what happened last night."

"Alright," Vivian replied. "Come with me first, you look so _cold_."

Nick followed the vixen into the office; it was surprisingly warmer in the small room than in the office.

"The boss keeps a special heater in here; it helps keep the job comfortable," Vivian said.

"How, convenient," Nick said, taking a seat. He pulled out a notebook and pencil. "Now, how about we start with – what the hell are you doing?"

He had looked up from his notebook to be assaulted with the image of Vivian sitting on the desk, legs crossed, and trying to look as seductive as possible. What made Nick uncomfortable was that it was working.

"Just, getting comfortable," Vivian said. "Now, what were you about to ask me?"

Nick swallowed and shook his head; he had work to do. "I was – I am going to ask about what happened when your boss left."

"Oh, it was just another normal night shift; He would leave after he finished his paperwork, and leave me with all of the cleaning! I got lucky and was actually about to finish soon after he left when I was assaulted from behind!" Vivian's body language told Nick that she was scared just thinking about the moment, yet it all felt _forced._

"Did you see who attacked you?" Nick asked.

"Yes," she said. "He was tall, and only wore a really black coat. I couldn't see his face _or_ his fur!"

"Yet, you _just_ said that you were attacked from behind." Nick corrected her.

Vivian looked genuinely taken aback. "I – I was just testing your detective skills, sir."

"I'm a cop, not a detective," Nick said bluntly.

Vivian looked like she had taken a blow from that last quip. Suddenly, a viciously mischievous look filled her eyes.

"Do you know what the intruder took?" Nick asked, oblivious to Vivian's change in character.

"No, because by that time I was unconscious," she said. "If you want, I can tell you how he attacked me."

"No, I'd rather you no-" Nick began, but it was too late; Vivian was already standing.

"I was putting up the cleaning supplies when he came from behind. I had turned just in time to see him lift a meaty paw in the air," she raised her own delicate paw to emphasize her story. "and swing it down with all of his might. I managed to lift my arms in time to absorb most of the fatal blow, but he was still _too_ strong! I fell backward, unconscious!" she fell backward into Nick's lap, startling said fox.

"Hey, what do you think you're -" Nick began, but again he was interrupted by Vivian. She spun around and placed herself on his lap.

"If only some kind, _caring_ , soul were around to comfort me in this stressful time," she said dramatically, pulling on Nick's necktie. She then pulled Nick's muzzle _very_ close to hers. "I guess you'll have to do."

With that, Vivian pulled Nick into a very interesting kiss. Nick, frightfully startled at first, began to feel his instincts kick in. Vivian wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and sat herself up higher on Nick's lap. Nick involuntarily wrapped his arms around her waist, and even pushed harder into the kiss. Vivian made a sound like a laugh and a moan combined, which set Nick's instincts ablaze.

Vivian pulled back, an airy look in her eyes. "Foxy knows how to play!" she said, a giddy smile on her face.

That was when Nick noticed the vixen's necklace. It was not extravagant in any manner of the word. It was only a simple silver chain that hooked together behind her neck. But, what really caught Nick's eye, was the beautiful amethyst that was at the end of the necklace.

Suddenly, thoughts of Judy flooded Nick's mind, causing the fox to feel a terrible mixture of guilt, shame, and longing. Compared to Vivian, Judy was _much_ more attractive in every way.

Nick's resolve strengthened tenfold, his animal instincts weakening significantly.

"Come on, officer," Vivian said playfully. "No one will see us!"

Nick not-so-gently shoved the vixen off of his lap and stood. Vivian fell to the floor with a yelp and looked up at Nick with eyes filled with hurt.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Nick said, all of his defenses at one hundred percent strength. "But that will be all. If you don't mind, I'll take one last quick look around and be on my way."

"But," the vixen said softly. She held a paw out to him in an unspoken plea, but Nick completely ignored her.

Nick looked around the shop, the cold barely registering. The thought of going home to Judy motivated him to get his best done, and he was doing his _best_. He checked in every plant, eventually finding the keys.

He then turned to the cabinets on the wall, the keys giving him an idea. He quickly searched through the cabinets and found the information he was looking for.

"So more seeds were stolen," Nick said to himself. He noticed that the label was torn. "And whoever took them does not want anyone on his tail."

He quickly took a picture with his phone, and then left the shop. Vivian watched Nick with hurt and anger. Why would he refuse _her?_ _How_ could he refuse her?! She scoffed, giving up trying to understand.

* * *

Judy heard a knock on the door, startling her from her trance. Nick had texted her fifteen minutes earlier that he was leaving work, so Judy had been setting up her dinner again.

"I'm coming!" she called as she put the finishing touches on the decorations.

Opening the door, she was greeted with a sudden hug from Nick. "Judy, I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh, Nick," she said, slightly flustered. "S-Sorry? For what?"

Nick said nothing more, instead hugging the bunny tighter. Judy felt the fox's shame and relief and began to picture what had happened.

"Did, did something go wrong at work?" she asked tentatively. If he had gotten kicked off of the force . . .

"No, not in the way you're probably thinking, Judy," he said. "It was during my trip to Tundra Town."

Judy began to hug him back. "Come on, Nick. You can tell me."

"I don't want to," he said simply, reminding Judy of a child who knew he was in trouble, but was determined to deny it until the bitter end.

"Nick, please. I promise I will _not_ be angry with you,"

Nick just hugged her tighter. Suddenly, an idea formed in Judy's mind. "Hey, Nick," she asked. "What . . . species . . . was the assistant?"

Nick said nothing, but Judy could feel the answer formulating in his mind. "It, _she,_ was a . . . a vixen."

Judy remained indifferent, though she had an inkling of where this story was going.

Nick sighed shakily, still refusing to let Judy go. "She, I, we were," he said, trying to find the words. Judy just hugged the poor fox tighter, allowing Nick the time to pull himself together. "She got to me, got under my skin, and played me along like a fool," he said sadly; Judy felt a tear on her shoulder. "She, I – _we_ kissed."

Judy remained silent. Many different thoughts ran through her head. She was angry at the vixen for kissing Nick; she was hurt that Nick had let the vixen get under his skin.

But seeing Nick in such a broken state hurt more.

"Nick," she said sympathetically. "If you think that I'm going to be angry with you because you kissed another girl," she pushed Nick back gently, allowing her to see his face. "Then you'd be right."

Nick grimaced, another tear rolling down his cheek. Judy smiled warmly. "But if you think that I'll want to _leave_ you because you kissed another girl," she leaned in, cupping Nick's cheek with her paw. Nick refused to make eye contact. "Then think again, you silly fox."

She kissed Nick, wrapping her arms around his neck. Nick didn't move, shame still ripping at his heart. Judy broke the kiss and gently forced Nick to look into her eyes. She gave Nick her kindest smile and looked at her poor fox. "Don't you ever forget, that we are husband and wife. For better or for _worse_. I think we can handle _one_ vixen."

"But that's just it," Nick said, gently pushing Judy's paws away from his face. "What if it isn't just _one_ vixen."

"Then I'll just have to keep you locked up here until you can learn how to behave. The truth is, Nick, that I'm not going anywhere without you, even if you don't want me. You're my fox, I'm your bunny."

Nick looked into her bright eyes. Judy could see Nick's shame weaken, and his tears dry up. Judy took the opportunity to pull Nick into another kiss. This time, Nick returned the favor with more vigor than when he had kissed Vivian.

Judy actually began to laugh as Nick lifted Judy from the ground, still holding their kiss. Nick felt the stress melt away, quickly replaced with comfort and love. Nick gently broke their kiss after a few moments but kept his muzzle close to Judy's. "Carrots, what would I do without you?" he asked.

"Be out partying with vixens, apparently," she joked. She and Nick chuckled, which then grew into boisterous laughter. Nick refused to let Judy down, but Judy did not mind; nowhere in the world did she feel safer than in Nick's arms. "If that happens again, we'll have a _longer_ talk, Nicholas Wilde," Judy said as the fox sheepishly grinned.

"Come on, Nick, dinner is waiting," Judy said, the stew beginning to fill the room with a mouth-watering aroma.

Nick's stomach grumbled as he smelled the air. "What did you make, Judy?" he asked, his eyes widening in excitement.

"Oh, you'll see," she said happily. "You'll also have to carry me into the kitchen; our hug cut the circulation to my legs."

"Well, then, what use do you have, Carrots? Bunnies are nothing without their legs."

Judy gave a laugh that clearly cried "Bull crap!"

Nick carried Judy into the kitchen, setting her gently in her designated seat. "Wow, you've really done a great job decorating."

Judy smiled. "Wait till you see what I made." She hopped into the kitchen and brought out the salad and stew. Nick's eyes widened.

"Blueberry salad, and is that . . ?" his voice trailed off as his pointed to the stew.

Judy nodded. "I got the recipe from your mother. I thought you'd want a special dinner, _especially_ after your ordeal today."

Nick looked at Judy, pure joy and love filling his eyes. Judy blushed slightly under this gaze; she wasn't used to seeing Nick genuinely happy.

"Oh, I also have a special surprise for you," Judy said. "Mrs. Qiu Yu said that we can move into one of her bigger apartments upstairs, _and_ only pay what we are paying for this apartment!"

Nick smiled brightly. "That's amazing, Carrots!"

Judy smiled and nodded. "And since we're both off duty tomorrow, we can spend the day moving!"

Nick's smiled faded. "Yeah," he said, his voice filled with mock enthusiasm. "That's amazing, Carrots."

* * *

**Mrs. Qiu Yu is Chinese for armadillo, though I think the landlady is actually a pangolin. Eh, I don't know. Also! You pronounce the name Chu yu. And yeah, I understand that Vivian's whole scene wasn't the best written, but it was to introduce an important plot point. So keep your eyes peeled, readers (and tear me a new one for the cringe of that scene...please. Or just, you know, give me constructive criticism...that works too)**

 


	4. Moving Towards a New Threat

The old TV played a rerun of an outdated sitcom, the picture constantly fizzing in and out of focus; more than once did the entire screen dissolve into static. Ex-Assistant Mayor Bellwether sat in a plastic chair, a look of pure boredom and anger plastered on her once innocent face. She kept her arms crossed as if she were contemplating killing everybody in the world; most times she did.

Suddenly, a faint sound to her left caught her attention. She turned her attention away from the television and towards the cell window. The prison was asleep, even the hippo guarding the cell. Bellwether only saw darkness in the hallway, the light from the television keeping her eyes from adjusting to the dark.

"I was wondering when you would come to visit," the lamb said, her voice sharp and cruel. Prison had not treated her very well.

"You could at least _sound_ excited to see me, Belle," a voice replied, the British accent almost sending shivers down Bellwether's spine.

"Please, don't call me that," Bellwether said, walking towards the window. "The mood's been long lost."

"It didn't hurt to try, did it?"

Bellwether's hardened exterior faltered as she smiled briefly; he always did know how to get to her.

"What are you doing here, Alex?" the lamb asked.

"Please," the figure said, stepping into the faint blue light cast by the television screen. "Call me Hunter." His blue eyes lit up as he looked down at Bellwether. The lamb took in the image of her old friend: a tall snow leopard with beautiful white fur and jet-black spots. He did not look very strong, but years previously spent in prison had not only toughened his body but also his mind; a deadly combination.

"So, what's a snow leopard like you doin' in a dump like this?" Bellwether asked, putting on a surprisingly accurate Brooklyn accent.

Hunter chuckled. "I came to tell you that my plan has almost come to full fruition."

Bellwether grinned. "Oh really? And what plan is that?" The lamb placed one of the digits from her hoof on her chin, posing in mock concentration. "Oh right! The plan that _I_ came up with originally!"

"That's correct, but _I'm_ executing it _better_ ," Hunter said.

Bellwether scoffed. "How?"

"I just am."

Bellwether frowned at the leopard. "Well, I hate to tell you, but ever since the two faces of the ZPD got hitched, Zootopia's become more accepting of the whole 'Predators and Prey Living in Harmony,' concept,"

"They won't for much longer," said Hunter, smirking. "Zootopia can't hide from the fact that predator and prey were _never_ meant to live in harmony; Just look at _us_ , at our past."

Bellwether glanced towards the floor, memories flooding her mind for a brief second before she pushed them away.

"Even the faces of the ZPD can't live together as _mates_ for very long," Hunter added with a startling finality.

Bellwether looked into Hunter's blue eyes; she saw nothing of her old friend in them. What she _did_ see both impressed and intimidated her. "Then it sounds like you have some work to do," she said, walking back to her seat.

"I'll visit again soon," Hunter promised before leaving.

Bellwether sighed. "I'm sure," she said after making sure that the snow leopard was gone. She slowly fell into a dreamless sleep, the television finally reducing to only a static-filled screen.

* * *

"Of _course_ we'll help you two move," Fru Fru said excitedly over the phone. "It's the _least_ we can do for _awll_ that you've down for us! In fact, Daddy's already sent a team of his _strongest_ polar bears over to help out!"

Judy smiled. "Thank you, Fru! You're the best!"

"Oh, no problem, sweetie," the shrew replied. "Hey, are we still going shopping today?"

Judy nodded. "After we're done moving!"

Judy had to move the phone away from her ears for a brief second as the high pitched squeal of excitement from the shrew nearly deafened her. "Oh, I just _can't_ wait! See you soon, then!"

"Alright, bye Fru!" With that, Judy hung up and turned to Nick. "There, we have a moving team."

Nick had been laying on the bed, smiling slyly at Judy as she had made the call. "Good job, Carrots."

"Now can I have _my_ phone back?" Judy asked, holding out a paw and tapping her foot.

Nick's smile faltered, his ears folding back. He rolled his eyes in defeat, and the reached behind his pillow. He handed the bunny her phone with a huff.

"You know, you didn't have to hide my phone to get me to call in some back-up," Judy said, placing the phone in her back pocket.

Nick grinned. "It wouldn't have been as fun, though," he said as he took his phone from Judy. "Now, what shall we do while we wait?"

Judy tapped her chin while she thought. "Well, we really _don't_ need to pack since we'll just be moving a few floors up," she said, casually moving towards the bed. "And getting _you_ out of bed isn't an option," Nick nodded his head in agreement.

"I guess the only thing to do is," Judy said as she suddenly hopped onto Nick, nearly knocking the breath out of the startled fox. "Join you," she said, her breath merely a whisper.

Nick recovered from the shock quickly and gently wrapped his arms around Judy. "You have got to be more careful, Carrots," he said, giving Judy a quick peck. "One of these days you'll land on me and I'll break."

Judy laughed, pecking Nick back. "Oh, I think you can handle it, Nick."

Without another word, Judy pulled Nick into a passionate kiss. Nick returned the favor, hugging Judy tightly. Judy slowly wrapped her arms around Nick's neck and began playing with his fur.

As their kiss grew into a more passionate activity, they heard a soft knock on their door. Judy smiled at Nick. "I think that's them."

Nick frowned slightly, disappointment filling his emerald eyes. "Couldn't they wait five minutes?"

"We'll have some more alone time _after_ we move, Nick. Come on, you need to get dressed." Judy said, getting off of the bed.

"You're one to talk," Nick mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Judy said from the bathroom.

Nick smiled and shook his head. "That bunny will be the death of me. . ." he said as he put on his casual clothes. He stood in the mirror, making sure that his tie was _just_ loose enough. By the time he had finished, Judy was already leaving the bathroom, looking very clean and ready.

They opened the door and were greeted with a rather large polar bear in a tuxedo. "Mr. Big say you two need help moving," the bear said in a deep Italian accent. "I am Jim. Show us what to do."

Judy smiled. "Well, we need our furniture moved two floors above us," she began. "If you follow me, I can show you the new apartment." The polar bear nodded.

Judy stepped out into the hallway and was surprised to see so many polar bears. Mr. Big had sent fifteen of them; they were all so big that they had to stand in the hallway in single file. Judy led the bears up the stairs, which to her relief were big enough for easy maneuvering of all of the furniture that she and Nick owned. They reached the desired floor, the hallway actually big enough for at least two polar bears to walk shoulder to shoulder. Judy led them down to apartment 927, which from the outside did not look different from the apartment they were moving from.

Opening the door, Judy was again amazed at how much _bigger_ the apartment was. She and Nick would actually have a bedroom, which at the moment she was _really_ excited about. The kitchen was much larger, as well as the two – count 'em, two! – bathrooms, and living room. The balcony looked out over the center of Zootopia; a much more majestic view than what Nick and Judy had downstairs.

"Is nice apartment," Jim said, sticking his head through the doorway. "We will have you moved by lunchtime; you have our word."

"Alright, then let's get moving!" Judy said, racing downstairs. The polar bears followed.

Because the polar bears were too big to fit into the doorway of Nick and Judy's old apartment, much to Nick's dismay, the couple had to first carry the new furniture they had purchased out of the apartment, let the bears carry it up the stairs, and then move the furniture into the new one. They began with the smaller items, but eventually, they had to move on to the larger items. For example, their bed that they had used to replace the old rickety one. It was a Temfurpedic mattress and had brought many a wonderful night to both fox and bunny. It was as heavy as an elephant, though.

"Come on, Nick, move to your right a bit!" Judy strained, barely holding her end of the mattress.

"I'm . . . trying, Carrots!" Nick hissed, the effort of carrying the mattress taking all of his willpower. He managed to move a step to his right, lining the two of them up perfectly with the door.

"There, that's it!" Judy cried, making sure that Nick wouldn't overdo anything. "Now walk towards me. _Slowly_." Judy emphasized the last word; Nick had accidentally nearly run her over while they were moving their new desk earlier.

"Alright, alright, I know, I know," Nick said. His teeth were bared and his ears here folded back in the effort. With a pace similar to that of a sloth, the two of them made their way to the door.

"You two are doing great," Jim said, trying to be encouraging; his monotone voice did not help.

Finally, after what felt like an hour but was actually two minutes, Nick and Judy handed off the mattress to the polar bears. To rub salt in the wound, the bears carried the mattress as if it were just a pillow while Nick and Judy watched with their muzzles hanging open.

Finally, after about two hours, Nick and Judy were moved into their new apartment, and everything was in its new place.

"Thank you again!" Judy said, waving to the polar bears as they entered their limo. Jim gave the tiniest of smiles and waved back before taking the driver's seat and driving his brethren back to Mr. Big.

Nick and Judy returned to their apartment, the both of them taking in the newfound space that they had. Of course, Judy was going to paint over the godawful wallpaper that decorated the walls, but for now, they were finished.

Nick surprised Judy by suddenly picking her up from behind. He rubbed his nose on hers, causing her to giggle.

"Now, Carrots, where were we?" he said in a playful tone.

"I think I remember," Judy said, her eyes half-lidded as ecstasy began to fill her body. She pulled Nick into another passionate kiss, but the fox had other plans.

After a moment, Nick broke the kiss and then carried his "prey" into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Only laughter and the sound of the bed's frame creaking could be heard from inside.

* * *

Nick lay in bed, feeling rather lonely. Judy had been picked up by Fru Fru and the two were now out shopping. He sighed; they would probably be out all day. He looked through the apps he had installed on his phone, trying to find something to pass the time. He had beaten One Paw Death Punch, had sworn he would never again touch Geomfurry Dash, and had no interest in checking up on his village in Clash of Packs.

Nick set down his phone and reached for the remote to the TV that was set on a dresser directly across the room from the bed. He turned on the television, and the first program on the screen was a news report.

"Another bank has been robbed, this time in Sahara Square," the anchorwoman was saying. "The ZPD are on the case, and are doing everything that they can, as told to us by Chief Bogo."

Nick rolled his eyes. The Chief was _not_ going to be happy tomorrow. Suddenly, something on the screen caught his eye. The camera man was giving a wide shot of the bank; there was police tape blocking off civilians, and there were police cars everywhere, and officers were keeping civilians out of the way. What Nick noticed was a small flower shop to the very left of the frame, almost too out of focus to see. The sign clearly said closed, but a snow leopard – at least that was what Nick thought it looked like – exited the shop with a small bag and walked away, barely glancing at the commotion at the bank.

Nick frowned as he processed the scene. The only logical conclusion he could come to was that he had just caught a glimpse of their burglar, and when he and Judy were back on duty tomorrow they would be taking a trip to that particular shop.

Nick was interrupted from his thoughts as his phone rang. Hoping it was from Judy, he was slightly disappointed to see that Clawhauser was calling.

"Hey Ben," Nick greeted after taking the call. "What's up?"

"Hey, Nick, I know that you guys are off duty, _but_ a Mr. Hornsmith is calling for you. I decided to forward his call to your number since I can't reach Judy."

"Yeah, she and a friend are out shopping. Besides, I need something to do. Thank you, Ben."

"You got it, Nick. I'll put Mr. Hornsmith on for you."

After a small pause, Nick was greeted with the yak's cheery "Hello, officer!"

"Hello, Mr. Hornsmith," Nick said.

"I'll skip the rest of the pleasantries and jump right in," Mr. Hornsmith said, lowering his voice. "I've discovered what was stolen from my shop the other night."

Nick sat up straight, his eyes widening in anticipation. "What was it?"

"Apparently, they were _Mendicampum Holicifius_ seeds. Why someone would want _those_ seeds specifically is beyond me."

Nick shook his head, the gibberish that Mr. Hornsmith had just said not even registering in his head. "Could say that again, please? In English?"

"I'm sorry officer, but all I have is the Latin name for the seeds. You see, I also keep files of my inventory because my memory is _very_ faulty. I _used_ to have the 'English' definition of this seed in my files, but someone ripped it out,"

"Just like the label from the other shop," Nick said to himself.

"I'm sorry?" Mr. Hornsmith asked.

"Nothing," Nick said, shaking his head. "Thank you so much Mr. Hornsmith."

"You're quite welcome. I hope I have been of some help,"

"You've been more than enough," Nick said reassuringly. With a quick goodbye, Mr. Hornsmith hung up.

Nick was now left alone with his thoughts. He processed the information again, only to come up short. He grunted in frustration. "If only I knew what Mendicamwhatsits were!" he said, angry at himself for not being as learned in this field as Judy.

Upon thinking of Judy, the sound of a car door closing brought Nick's attention to the window. He got out of bed and walked over, looking down to see who it was. Any animal who was afraid of heights would not have come within a yard of the window; Nick was not one of these animals.

He saw a long white limo parked in front of the building. Judy and Fru Fru were just now exiting the car, polar bears carrying their many bags. While Nick was overjoyed that his wife was home, he still rolled his eyes; Fru Fru had corrupted Judy with the evil power of binge shopping.

Within moments, Nick heard the front door opening. "Nick, I'm home!" Judy yelled. Nick barely heard the bunny thank Fru Fru for a wonderful time, and then heard the front door closing. "Come on, Nick, I've got some really neat things to show you!"

Nick walked out of the bedroom, surprised to see that Judy only had four bags. Judy noticed the fox's bewilderment.

"Come on, Nick. Did you _really_ think that I would spend hundreds of dollars on hundreds of new dresses? I'm not _that_ bad," she said. After a pause and Nick placing his paws on his hips, Judy continued. "I only spend hundreds of dollars on one dress!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "It had better be worth it," he said. "Or else we're selling it."

"I'll go try it on," she said and ran off into the bedroom. Nick, while the information from Mr. Hornsmith was still fresh in his mind, was always happy to humor his little bunny.

"Alright, I'm ready," Judy said, stepping out of the bedroom. Nick's jaw dropped as he took her image in. Apparently, each bag held a different article of Judy's new outfit. Judy had on a gorgeous silk dress that was colored the faintest shade of pink. Around her neck, she wore a stunning silver necklace that sparkled like a diamond when light refracted off of it. The necklace held a well-polished and expertly-cut amethyst, which brought out Judy's eyes significantly. On her head, Judy wore an adorable pink bow. It was also made of silk, and looked as soft as her fur.

"Well," Judy said, looking at the floor shyly. "What do you think?"

Nick still stood there, his jaw still open. His emerald eyes looking at Judy from head to toe was the only noticeable movement that the fox made.

"Nick, come on, I'd like an answer," Judy said. Her cheeks began to grow a pink tint, and she shuffled her weight from her left leg to her right.

Nick suddenly closed his mouth and smiled. He walked over to Judy, knelt down, and gently cupped her cheek with his paw and moved her face towards his. Their eyes met, and Judy only blushed harder; Nick was staring at her with that look of bottomless love again.

"I think," he began, moving his muzzle very close to hers. "That you look absolutely gorgeous."

Nick pulled Judy into a kiss, careful not to wrinkle her new dress as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Judy returned the kiss, relieved that Nick liked the dress. After what felt like an eternity, they broke the kiss.

"I guess we have to keep the dress, Carrots," Nick said. "But exactly _when_ would you wear that?"

"Oh, special parties and occasions. You should see what I have in my fourth bag!" she said excitedly.

"What's in the fourth bag?" Nick asked, genuinely confused; there was more to her dress?

Eyes half-lidded, Judy hugged Nick close and whispered the answer in his ear. Nick's eyes widened as his stomach flipped excitedly. Leaning back, Judy laughed with satisfaction at the giddy look on Nick's muzzle.

"Anyway, you looked like you wanted to tell me something," Judy said.

Nick momentarily cleared his mind and throat. "Mr. Hornsmith called. He found out what the intruders took."

Judy's demeanor grew serious. "What was it?"

Nick paused a moment, thinking back to the fancy Latin name that the yak had used. "He said that they were _Mendicampum Holicifius_ seeds," he said, carefully enunciating the Latin name.

Judy's eyes widened. "Night Howlers?"

Nick's heart skipped a beat. "Is _that_ what they are?"

Judy looked a little surprised. "Yes. Didn't Mr. Hornsmith tell you?"

Nick shook his head. "No. He doesn't have a great memory, hence all of the files. Someone had ripped out one of the labels for the seeds; I'm guessing that the label said Night Howlers on it."

Judy shook her head. "Do you think that means . . ." she dared not complete the thought; the idea of animals again going savage was too much to bear.

Nick shrugged. "We can't be sure. What we _can_ do, though, is continue the case carefully. Someone doesn't want anyone to know what they're up to; the shop in Tundra Town had a torn label. I'm guessing they were Night Howlers as well."

Suddenly, a sharp knock on their door startled the two of them. Nick walked over to answer the door. He looked through the peephole; there was no one there. Confused, Nick opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. There was no trace of anyone having been there.

"Nick, look," Judy said, walking up behind Nick; Nick jumped away from her, startled. "Sorry," Judy said as Nick calmed down. The bunny bent over and picked up a small slip of paper that had been left on the floor. It was folded in half, hardly concealing the message it held.

As Judy opened the flap and read the paper, Nick grew curious. "What's it say, Carrots?"

Judy's eyes widened slightly, her heart beginning to beat faster. Silently, she handed the paper to Nick, who was growing concerned.

As he read the rough, yet simple handwriting, his heart grew cold.

"Keep your tails out of other people's business," it read. "Or we'll rip them off."

 


	5. Nightmares, Chases, and New Neighbors

**Dark times are ahead...YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!!!**

Thunder clapped above, the force strong enough to shake the dark jungle below. Rain pelted Nick's face, effectively blinding the fox. Nick ran through the thick masses of foliage faster than he had ever run before, panic surging through every fiber of his body; he had to get to her, fast.

Lightning lit up the sky, the violent blue clouds flashing white for a full second. Another earth-shaking clap of thunder followed close behind, the force almost knocking Nick off balance. Grunting, Nick practically galloped ahead on all four paws. Protruding roots constantly tripped the poor fox; within a few falls, Nick was covered head to tail with mud. He was not going to let that stop him.

The rain refused to let up, keeping Nick from opening his eyes long enough to gather his bearings. Her screams pierced through the wind and rain, feeding Nick's panic and adrenaline. Nick picked up his pace, only to hit the ground hard after a few feet. His muzzle impacted first, forcing the air out of the fox. Nick cartwheeled before skidding to a stop in the mud. He lifted himself up a bit and rubbed his jaw; he felt as if he had knocked a few teeth out from that impact.

Again, she screamed, Nick's ears perking at the sound. He tried to cry out to her, but the wind swallowed his voice. Lightning and thunder struck again, the light so bright that Nick had to turn his head. Turning back, Nick tried to scan his surroundings for any sign of her; the rain still did not let him see anything.

He wasn't going to let her down. He was _never_ going to let her down. Nick picked himself up and again dashed off towards her screams. He tried lifting his legs a little higher to avoid being tripped, but the roots still managed to make the fox stumble.

Finally, Nick came to a clearing, nearly circular in shape. A rather thick root managed to grab hold of Nick's back paw as he dashed into the clearing. He fell to the ground, a sickening crack sending a surge of pain through the fox's body. He held back a scream, holding his paw to stop the pain; it didn't help. He turned back to check the damage: his paw was broken and a sizable gash was freely bleeding. Nick was now immobilized.

A low growl drew Nick's attention to the center of the clearing. There she stood, poised to run or attack; probably both. The rain did not seem to faze her, her face set with determination. Nick saw through the mask, though; she was terrified, and he knew it.

Nick quickly turned his attention to his right, trying to locate the source of the low growl. The animal – a fierce-looking lion – was on all fours, a savage look in its eyes. Its fangs were bared, the deep growl emanating from its throat. Its mane was soaked through, only adding to its terrifying image.

Again, Nick tried to cry out to her, but again the wind swallowed his voice. Her attention was directed solely on the lion. Nick could only watch in horror as she stood face-to-face with certain death. Without warning, the lion lunged forward, mouth open and teeth bared. She rolled out of the way, _just_ avoiding the lion's claws.

What she couldn't avoid, however, was the one inconveniently-placed root that tripped her; she cartwheeled head over heels and landed with a soft thud on the wet ground. Nick gasped, eyes wide in fear.

The lion whipped back around, green eyes glowing in the rain as they searched for her. She was trying to pick herself up, but she was too slow. Nick screamed as the lion lunged, pouncing on her injured body. With one swipe of its paw, she was sent flying across the clearing, her body flopping lifelessly like a rag doll.

The lion pounced again, a sickening crunch piercing through the wind. Nick cried again, forcefully trying to inch towards her. White-hot pain surged through his leg, nearly causing him to faint on the spot. He dared to look back at the lion and his prey.

He had turned just in time to get a horrifyingly perfect angle to the nightmare. There she lay, the only movement about her the faint rise and fall of her chest. The lion was poised above her, its eyes filled with hunger.

With one swift movement, Judy's head was in the lion's mouth.

* * *

Nick bolted upright with a scream, the bed sheets threatening to entangle him. He sat there on the bed, breathing erratically. His eyes stung from fresh tears, but he made no move to wipe them away.

"Nick?" came a soft voice to his left. "Nick, what's wrong?"

Slowly, Nick turned towards the voice. There she was, alive and well. Nick nearly fainted from the strength of the wave of relief that hit him at the sight of his wife. He quickly hugged the bunny close to him, sobbing quietly into her shoulder.

"Nick, what happened?" Judy asked, concerned for her husband.

Nick said nothing, only holding Judy closer.

"Nick, was it -" she hesitated. "Did you have that dream again?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nick said softly.

Judy gently leaned back. "Come on Nick. For the past _two weeks_ , you've been losing sleep. Yeah, I know you're more of a night kind of animal, but for two weeks worth of consecutive nights?! Plus, the way you toss and turn violently, moaning and screaming," Judy sighed. "Nick, I'm worried about you."

Nick did not meet her gaze. Instead, he looked at Judy's paw. She did not have the ring on, but the fur was pressed where the ring would have been.

"Judy, I'm sorry," Nick said at last, finally meeting her amethyst gaze. "I don't know what's come over me. I've been having the same nightmare _every night_."

"Tell me," Judy said simply. Nick shook his head.

"No."

"Why not?"

Nick sighed shakily; he could feel the tears returning. "It's too much," he said simply. "Please, let's just go back to sleep."

Judy opened her mouth to challenge Nick, to get him to explain, but then closed it back. This was not the right place, nor the right time. Instead, she allowed Nick to get comfortable first, and then snuggled up as close to the fox as possible.

Nick was surprised for a moment, almost forgetting what to do next. Upon seeing Judy's content smile, Nick himself smiled sadly and wrapped his arms around his little bunny. He soon fell into a dreamless sleep, the warmth of Judy's body a welcome comfort.

* * *

"Patrol duty, again?" Nick said in mock complaint. He and Judy were in their police car, patrolling the same three blocks.

"Hey, at least we got Precinct One," Judy retorted. "Remember when we had to patrol in Sahara Square?"

Nick smiled slyly as images of Judy buying multiple bottles of water and pouring them on herself to keep cool. "It was a nasty heat wave, wasn't it Carrots?"

Judy poked her tongue out at him. "You're one to talk. _You_ couldn't stop panting!"

Nick opened his mouth to make a retort but closed it when he couldn't think of anything to say. She had won that battle, but not the war.

"Anyway," Judy said, softening her voice. "Since we're alone, we should talk."

Nick's smile slowly dissolved, his ears folding back. He quickly looked out the window to his right. "About what?" he asked, trying to sound ignorant.

"You know what," Judy said, keeping her voice soft; she knew that if she tried to challenge him, the whole situation would end in a fiery ball of disaster.

"Look, Carrots, I said I don't want to talk about it," Nick said simply.

"I know, Nick," Judy said, glancing at the fox occasionally. "But this isn't the first time it's happened."

Nick said nothing. He only looked out the window, trying hard to find something else to concentrate on.

"I know it's been two weeks since we've told Chief Bogo about the seeds being Night Howlers, and I know that since then all of the robberies had seemingly stopped altogether. Does _that_ have anything to do with your nightmares?"

Nick sighed, memories of all of the terrible dreams flashing into his mind's eye. He gasped as the bloody image of Judy's body flashed violently into his mind. Judy glanced at Nick with concern.

Silence fell over the couple like a thick blanket, both the fox and the bunny reluctant to break it. Judy could tell that Nick was struggling, so she said nothing. If Nick wanted help, he would ask for it.

Nick was caught in an internal battle, much like he had been most of his life. He contemplated telling Judy about the dream. Would she think he was crazy? Would she think he was overreacting? Would she still want to stay with him?

Would she help him through this?

The last question hit Nick like a wall of bricks. This key thought finally penetrated through his defenses; not only had he found someone who cared about him, but now he never had to face his problems alone.

With his confidence boosted, Nick sighed shakily and turned back to Judy.

"Alright Carrots, you win," he said, his sly smile returning for a second. "You may want to park the car, though,"

Judy smiled and pulled over. After shifting the gear to park, she turned to Nick, her posture telling the fox that she was ready to listen.

Nick took another deep breath, and began.

"Yes, I have had nightmares every night for the past two weeks. I'm not sure if they're because of the Night Howlers, or if they're just because I'm afraid of losing you," he said, the latter just now coming to him.

"Every dream, while having the same principle, was different. I was always running, trying to get to you, but one time it was in a desert, another a thick jungle. Each time I come into a clearing and break my paw, which immobilizes me. Each time you're there in the clearing, determined to run from – or beat the living daylights out of – your attacker. The attackers are different, but all savage. It was a lion last night. Every dream ends the same way: me watching helplessly as you. . . a-as you are," Nick stopped, tears wanting to escape and run freely. He pulled himself together and turned back to Judy.

"As you are eaten alive."

Judy didn't move through Nick's story, not even in response to Nick's last remark. What she did do, however, was hug Nick tightly after the fox had finished.

"It'll be alright, Nick," she said as Nick wrapped his arms around her in return. She then leaned back and smiled. "Thanks for telling me."

Nick, about to thank Judy, glanced behind the bunny, noticing something odd. Judy, following his gaze, turned around. Across the street from where they were parked was a small shop owned by a florist. The sign said "Domestically Exotic: Alex Hunt's Flowers for Every Occasion!" A bobcat with brown fur was calmly walking out the door, where a "We're Closed" sign hung in plain sight. The feline held in one paw a small bag, in the other, an orange. He jerked his shoulders, which caused the black cloth jacket he was wearing to rest more comfortably on his shoulders.

Nick and Judy both stared as the bobcat calmly crossed the street. Once on the other side of the street, the bobcat walked past the police car. Nick and Judy let go of each other, and Judy started the car. They crawled slowly behind the bobcat, who seemed to be oblivious to the officers as he peeled his orange.

Nick and Judy stared as they followed in their car, waiting to see what the cat would pull. If their hunches were right, they had a thief on their paws. Heck, the bobcat could even have some information about the Night Howler seeds.

After he finished peeling the orange, the bobcat walked a few more feet, stretching as if he was getting ready to run a marathon. Then, without warning, the bobcat threw the orange at the police car with frightening speed. The sound of the impact – along with the fruit exploding across the windshield – was enough to produce a startled yelp from Judy as she pushed hard on the brakes. Nick was thrown forward, hitting his head on the dashboard. The bobcat then ran in the opposite direction, laughing at the two cops in the car.

"Oh, he is so DEAD!" Judy screamed as she practically steamrolled Nick in her effort to get out of the car and pursue the bobcat.

"Judy, wait!" Nick cried, but Judy was already taking off after the feline, her legs launching her forward.

This was her favorite thing about being a cop: the thrill of the chase. She loved to run, she loved feeling exhausted afterward. She loved the feeling of the wind rushing through her ears, she loved seeing the world go by in a blur.

The bobcat ran fast. He knew he wasn't going to outrun the bunny cop, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. He knew all of the little secrets of this area, all of the twists and turns that would lead him to safety. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. The bunny cop was catching up.

He quickly ducked to his right, rolling to absorb the inertia of the sudden change of direction. He ran down the alley, hopped onto the top of a dumpster, and ran to the end. He jumped, arms outstretched, and grabbed the rings of a fire-escape ladder that wasn't lowered. With the strength of a gymnast, he swung his legs backward then forward, the momentum swinging his entire body upside down. His back paws found purchase, allowing the bobcat to hang upside down from the ladder by his feet. He hung just long enough for the bunny to see; the look of surprise on her face was priceless.

He grabbed the bottom rungs with his paws and swung forward. Using the momentum, he swung himself backward and launched himself towards the tall fence that divided the alleyway. Turning himself around in midair, he latched onto the top of the fence and climbed up and over. Judy could only stare as the bobcat landed gracefully on the other side.

"Catch me if you can, Cottontail!" he cried, then began to run off.

Memories of Duke Weaselton filled Judy's mind as she heard this remark. She clenched her paws into fists and ran with all of her might towards the large fence. Her breathing became short and sporadic, but she kept on running. She fell to all fours, gathering even more speed.

"Three. . . two. . . one!" Judy cried, her back legs firing like pistons. She jumped onto the dumpster and ran to the end. She then launched herself to the other side of the alley, landing for a split second on a windowsill. She launched herself from there and cleared the fence easily. She landed with an epic pose: her legs apart, one hand on the ground and the other in the air behind her. Smiling at her accomplishment, she ran after the bobcat. Behind her, Nick entered the alleyway in time to see Judy run off. He stopped to look at the fence and sighed. After quickly analyzing his surroundings, Nick backtracked and began to run around the block.

The bobcat was getting close to exhaustion, and the bunny was catching up. Fast. He ducked into a side alley to his left, then another to his right, stopping a moment to breathe. He didn't have much time; he could hear the cop getting close.

Judy was fast enough to _just_ see the bobcat run into the side alley. She picked up her pace, slowing only to safely duck into the alleyway. Her super-sensitive ears heard the exhausted pants coming from the feline, which told Judy to take her first right.

"Ah HA!" Judy cried as she rounded the corner. She was taken aback for a moment, for the bobcat was not there; his tail could be seen slipping around the corner to the right ahead. Judy groaned in frustration and ran ahead.

She shot out of the alley, ready to pounce on the bobcat. "I've got you now, you little -" she stopped short. Nick had the bobcat pinned to the wall. The feline was smiling.

"All right, officer," he said, holding his paws up in mock surrender. "You've got me."

Judy, the wave of exhaustion crashing over her, walked over to stand beside Nick.

"What took you so long, Carrots?" Nick asked, smiling slyly at the tired bunny.

"Apparently, I took the long way around," she said, leaning against Nick while her energy recharged. "How did you get here so fast?"

Nick chuckled. "I know just about _all_ there is to know about this city, Carrots. _Especially_ the shortcuts."

The bobcat scoffed. "And here I was thinking _I_ was the only one with the street smarts in this chase."

Judy shot the bobcat a death stare and turned back to Nick as the bobcat shrunk into his jacket. "What are we gonna do with him?"

Nick thought for a moment. "First things first, what's your name, kid?"

The bobcat smiled. "Ron," he replied.

Nick nodded. "Alright Ron, what were you doing in that shop?"

"I was closing. I'm Mr. Hunt's assistant."

"So, I'm guessing that inside the little bag you have. . ." Nick said, hoping that Ron would elaborate.

"Some supplies that Mr. Hunt needed. He likes to garden in his house, so occasionally I bring him seeds."

Again, Nick nodded. "And why did you throw the orange?"

Ron smiled. "Well, I saw a fox and bunny in the car and thought 'Gee, is that the _famous_ bunny cop Officer Hopps? The _same_ Officer Hopps that gave Duke Weaselton a run for his money? Man, I wonder if she's still got some speed in her!' You can see where this was going,"

Judy scoffed, a look of disgust on her face. "You scared me half to death just to get me to chase you?"

Ron nodded. "Yep. And what a fun chase it was! I was _sure_ you were going to catch me, but I didn't expect Officer Wilde to cut me off."

Nick grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm funny like that.”

Nick released the bobcat and dusted himself off. "Alright, kid, we'll let you off with a warning. Pull that stunt again, and Officer Hopps here won't be so forgiving," Judy shot a look at the fox, who only shrugged with a sly smile.

Ron held his paws up in defense. "No problem officers. Thanks again for the great chase!" With that, the feline was on his way, rounding a corner a block down.

Nick and Judy began walking in the other direction. They had to get back to work.

"Well, that was exciting," Judy joked.

Nick smiled. "You look a little tired, Carrots. What happened to all of your energy?"

"I think I've gone _soft_ ," Judy said, almost disgusted to admit it. "Two years since I've had reason to run like that, and I've let myself go,"

"You have grown a bit chubby since then," Nick joked, although he knew that it was a lie. He just barely dodged a punch traveling at the speed of a bullet from Judy.

"I mean it, Nick. I've gotta run more, or else I won't be able to outrun any mammals before long."

"Don't they have a jogging trail in the park?" Nick asked. "You could go there in the morning before work – or after."

"Not a bad idea, Nick," Judy said, already planning a weekly jogging routine. "Not a bad idea at all."

* * *

The bobcat returned to the little shop he had exited a few minutes earlier. He glanced at the sign that read: "Domestically Exotic: Alex Hunt's Flowers for Every Occasion!" and rolled his eyes. It was a good cover, though.

The bell rang above the door as he entered. It was a simple shop. The walls were warm reds and oranges, giving a very cozy feel to the room. There were only a few displays, but that was all that was needed. Ron was always amazed at the detail in each of the displays. They showcased only one flower, but each display perfectly mimicked the proper habitat for that flower.

Ron walked to the front desk, humming to himself. He rang the small golden bell on the desk three times. The chimes echoed very faintly, and after a moment a hidden door opened to the bobcat's right. A very bright blue light emanated from the doorway, contrasting the warm colors of the shop. Ron entered the hidden passage, the door closing behind him.

He walked on, still humming to himself. He couldn't place the tune, but it was a catchy one. He entered a large room filled with monitors and computers, all of them running algorithms or programs. To Ron's right was a glass box. Inside, _Mendicampum Holicifius_ were just now sprouting, thanks to a specialized growth serum.

"So, how did the chase go?" a voice asked to Ron's right. The English accent made the bobcat shiver.

"It went alright," Ron replied, turning to the voice. "Nick cut me off in the end, but Judy still has speed, even if it's not as fast as she was two years ago."

The tall figure chuckled, the sound making Ron shiver again. "Perfect. Then we can go on to experiments."

Ron's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, experiments? Hunter, the flowers aren't anywhere _near_ mature enough for a stable serum to be made!"

Hunter stepped into the light, his posture enough reason for Ron to step back. "Do you recall that the city is equipped with a working antidote for the Night Howler serum? If we try to recreate Bellwether's _exact_ formula, then our plans will be foiled within days! If we use the flowers _now_ , and perhaps throw in a few other chemicals such as pure adrenaline, then their antidote won't work."

Ron took another step back. "But, what if the experiments don't survive?"

Hunter leaned in, his muzzle mere inches away from Ron's. "Then let us hope that they get their job done before that, shall we?"

* * *

"Oh no," Judy said as she and Nick walked down the hall to their apartment.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Look," Judy said pointing. Up ahead were the two roommates that lived next to Judy downstairs. Only now, they were moving into the apartment next to Nick and Judy.

Running up to the duo, Judy tried her best not to look ticked-off. "Hi, hey, you guys! What are you up to?"

"We're moving next door," the first oryx, Bucky, said as he picked up a box and walked it inside.

"Mrs. Qiu Yu didn't like how loud we were without anyone else there, so she sent us up here," the second oryx, Pronk, said as he brought in his own box.

"Oh, and we'll _still_ be loud and obnoxious," Bucky said as he walked back out into the hallway to lift another box.

"And _still_ don't expect us to apologize for it!" Pronk said as he walked back out to retrieve the last box. After he walked inside, he slammed the door behind him. The impact was enough to make both Nick and Judy cringe a touch.

Nick and Judy stared at the door for a moment, and then they both shrugged. Nothing they could do about it.

Inside, Judy immediately made a beeline for the couch and plopped herself onto the soft cushions. "I'm _so_ tired!" she exclaimed.

"After _one_ run, Carrots?" Nick asked as he changed out of his police uniform. "You really _are_ going soft!"

He ducked in time to avoid one of the couch pillows that Judy had launched at him. "You're picking that up," he said as he walked over to Judy.

"I'll get it later," she said as Nick wrapped his arms around her. "We have more important business to attend to."

Nick chuckled, smiling slyly. " _You_ still need to change."

"I could use your help," Judy said innocently. " _Especially_ if I am going soft."

Nick smiled, a passionate light filling his emerald eyes. He picked the bunny up off of the couch, Judy laughing as she was lifted. Nick then carried her into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Carefully, Nick helped the bunny undress, but he seized the opportunity to figure out just how ticklish Judy was.

With just a few well-placed paw strokes, Judy was curled up on the floor, laughing as she tried to get Nick to stop.

"Nick, Nick I can't breathe!" Judy said as she laughed. Nick laughed too.

"I can't hear you Carrots!" Nick retorted, and continued to mercilessly tickle the poor bunny.

"HEY! SHUT UP IN THERE!" Pronk cried from behind the wall.

"YOU SHUT UP! THEY'RE HAVING AN INTIMATE MOMENT, AND YOU'RE KILLING THE MOOD!" Bucky challenged.

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

Nick and Judy merely stared at the wall, unsure of what to do. Nick then turned to Judy.

"Shall we invest in a new apartment?" he asked.

Judy laughed. "I think earplugs will be fine for now,"

Nick rolled his eyes. He picked Judy up again, walked her over to the bed, and set her down softly. He then jumped on top of her, pulling the covers up and over their heads. The ensuing night was filled with fun and passion.

**For those of you wondering, Ron is** _**loosely** _ **based off of myself; his name is similar to my first name and he shares a few physical aspects with me. However, I am nowhere** _**near** _ **as athletic as he his.**

 


	6. Exercise is Bad, Fluffy Showers are Good

"I'll see you shortly then, Carrots?" Nick asked as Judy changed out of her police uniform and into some comfortable jogging clothes: a white tank top, and black shorts.

"I promise not to run off for long, Nick," Judy replied, pulling the tank top on over her ears. Nick was amused by how her ears popped back up once they were free of the tank top.

"I'm more worried that you _won't_ be able to run very long," Nick said seriously. "If you're going _soft_ , then. . ." he had let a sly smile creep onto his face as he added this, revealing the tease. He was lucky that Judy had nothing to launch at him at that moment.

"Har har," Judy said sarcastically instead. "I'll see you later," she opened the front door and proceeded to exit the apartment.

"Later, Carrots," Nick said, turning his attention to the television.

Judy closed the door and ran down the hall, her ears perking to the noise of Bucky and Pronk arguing. Again.

She drove to the park, saving any extra energy for the run. She let her mind wander slightly, her thoughts turning to Nick. She sighed happily as the clever fox filled her mind. His sly smile. His emerald eyes. His red fur.

Judy's thoughts were interrupted as she had to stop suddenly for a red light. She shook herself out of fantasy land and brought herself back into reality. If she was to make it to the park and back alive, Nick would have to wait.

After driving for five minutes, Judy entered the parking lot for the city park. For the time of day, it wasn't very busy; only a few parked cars could be found in the parking lot. Judy exited her car, excitement beginning to rise inside her.

The day couldn't have been more perfect, either! The air was cool, the breeze gently blowing between Judy's ears. The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting a warm orange glow over the entire park. In the center of the park was a large lake; around this lake was the jogging track. Judy stopped a moment to take in the breathtaking scene: the lake was reflecting the sun beautifully, a few families enjoying their day. One was picnicking, another playing a rousing game of Frisbee.

Judy inhaled deeply, the fresh air filling her lungs. She let out a content and happy sigh as she jogged the rest of the way to the track. The track was nothing fancy: just a small paved pathway that ran around the perimeter of the lake. Judy decided to lap only once around the lake today; the lake was of considerable size – about two miles in perimeter – and she hadn't been running on a regular basis.

She sat on a bench a few feet away from the path, setting her water bottle down and stretching. She jogged in place for a moment to loosen her legs, rolling her shoulders and neck as well.

"Hello there," a voice said, startling Judy. She turned to the source of the voice, her eyes widening in surprise.

"H-Hello," she said, taken aback. A tall snow leopard stood before her, dressed similarly to Judy: a light blue T-shirt and black shorts. His fur was startlingly white, his black spots a stark contrast. His blue eyes were filled with kindness, yet Judy sensed something. . . _deeper_ in them.

"Sorry if I startled you," he said, his Cockney accent surprisingly calming. "I only wanted to make your acquaintance."

Judy brought herself back to reality and held out a paw. "Oh, it's alright," she said as the snow leopard shook her paw. "Being a bunny, my heart is always running at high speed."

"I understand," the snow leopard said, chuckling. "I'm also sure that being a leopard didn't 'elp your situation at all,"

Judy waved off the last remark. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm Judy, by the way. Judy Wilde."

The snow leopard nodded. "I'm Alex Hunt. I own a small flower shop just a few blocks from 'ere. You may 'ave seen it?"

"Are you referring to that 'Domestically Exotic' shop?" Judy asked. The leopard nodded. "Yeah, I've seen it. Your assistant gave us quite the chase yesterday," Judy reminisced for a moment, but soon brought her attention back to the leopard.

Alex lowered his head in apology. "I'm sorry for 'ow he acted, Officer Wilde -"

"Please, call me Judy,"

Alex smiled. "Alright then, Judy. He can be a bit 'eadstrong, but he's a good kid. Contrary to appearance, he knows his flowers. But I'm pretty sure you know all about things not being what they seem."

Judy chuckled to herself, images of Nick flooding her mind. She smiled dreamily as Alex merely let her be. After a moment, Judy realized what she was doing and brought herself back to the situation at hand.

"I'm sorry, my mind likes to wander," she apologized.

Alex looked out over to the lake. "As does mine. Anyway, Ron told me that you're a good runner."

The compliment almost immediately went straight to Judy's head. "Well, I'm not _that_ great of a runner, but, yeah, I'm _pretty_ fast."

Alex chuckled. "How modest! I propose, then, that we 'ave a race. One lap around the lake. First one back 'ere wins."

"What happens if the other loses?" Judy asked, a competitive spirit rising inside of her.

"Nothing," Alex said, shrugging. "Just a simple, friendly race."

Judy nodded. "Sure, why not? I'll still be getting my exercise for the day,"

"That's the spirit!" Alex said. He and Judy walked onto the paved pathway. Alex took a rock from the lake shore and used it to mark the pathway. A white scratch now marked their start and finish.

"Whenever you're ready, Judy," Alex said.

"I was born ready," Judy said, leaning down. She placed her legs behind her, her right leg in front of her left, ready to give her the starting push. Her front paws were placed a little over shoulder's width apart, her ears pushed back. Alex took a similar stance to her left.

"On the count of three," Alex began. "One,"

"Two," Judy said.

"THREE!" they said in unison, and they both launched forward. Judy's legs were built like pistons, giving her the head start. Alex also had powerful legs, so it didn't take long for him to begin catching up to the little bunny. The two runners quickly ate up the track, already coming up to a fourth of the way to the finish.

Adrenaline filled Judy's body. The wind rushed through her ears, effectively cooling her off. Her breathing grew short and sporadic again, so Judy focused on leveling it out. The world was going by in a blur and nothing stood in Judy's way.

It felt like freedom.

Judy glanced over her shoulder, looking to see if Alex was close. She was surprised to see that he was practically on her tail. Judy smirked and picked up speed, her legs firing like pistons. The burn in her legs was a welcome comfort; she didn't want this exercise to be _easy_.

After hitting the halfway mark of the race, both Judy and Alex were already soon coming up to the three-fourths mark. Any bystanders who watched the race could only see large blurs of white, black, and light blue running down the paved pathway.

Alex was a little flabbergasted as Judy picked up even _more_ speed, but that didn't stop him. He pushed his muscles further, and soon enough he was again catching up to the bunny. _He_ had been jogging on a regular basis; his breathing was even and controlled, and he wasn't breaking a sweat yet.

"Come on, Judy," the bunny said to herself, her breathing again becoming sporadic. "You can do this!" She pushed herself forward, her legs screaming in the effort. Judy leaned forward, her front paws taking to the ground; she was now running on all fours. She launched forward, covering over a yard with each jump.

"That's cheating!" Alex cried, but his eyes were alight with the thrill of the run. He too fell to all fours and his speed increased dramatically. He closed the gap between the bunny and him quickly. He smirked as he passed Judy, her face one of pure surprise.

"Oh no you don't!" Judy said, pushing herself further still. Her legs protested, but Judy didn't listen. She would beat this leopard. She gathered more speed, just barely passing Alex.

They flew past the three-fourths mark, the finish line getting closer by the second. That was when Judy felt it. It was an instinct that had been long suppressed, a feeling that had no reason to register anymore. Yet, here it was, in full force and at full strength.

Panic.

Her muscles now screamed at her, telling her to get away from the danger – whatever it was. She felt all logic and reason begin to fade away, a singular desire to run and flee overpowering her. Her speed increased again, much to the surprise of Alex. What surprised him even more, however, was the look of pure fear that was plastered onto Judy's face as she glanced back at him, as if _he_ were the one she was running from.

Judy shot past the finish line and kept running. Her eyes were wide with fear, her heart beating uncontrollably.

"Judy!" Alex cried, skidding to a stop after crossing the finish line.

Judy gasped as she was suddenly brought back to reality. She tripped over her own feet, cartwheeling forward. She landed on her back with a thud, skidding forward a foot or two; her white tank top would need washing now.

Alex quickly ran over to the bunny, falling to his knees to get a better look at any damage. There were only a few cuts and bruises, much to the leopard's relief.

Judy lay on the ground, grimacing as the pain hit her in waves. She held her left leg to her chest, trying to curl herself into a ball.

"Judy, it's going to be alright," Alex said, looking for anything he could use to help clean the wounds. With nothing useful within reach, he ripped a strip of cloth from his shirt and wet it in the lake. He returned to Judy and began washing the cuts.

Judy gasped in pain as her cuts stung from contact with the cloth. "Sh, sh," Alex cooed, resting a gentle paw on the bunny's shoulder to calm her down. "I know it 'urts, but it'll be over soon."

After a moment, Alex finished washing the cuts, and Judy began to relax.

"Come on, I'll 'elp you up," Alex said, gently picking the bunny up. "I 'ave some bandages in my car."

Alex carried the bunny out of the park, retrieving their water bottles from the bench as he passed. Coincidentally, Alex had parked right next to Judy. He owned a simple car, baby blue in color. It was definitely dull in comparison to Nick and Judy's white convertible.

"What happened?" Judy finally asked as Alex wrapped her cuts in bandages.

"I don't know," Alex said, sighing. "It was almost as if you went. . . _primitive_ ,"

Judy's heart skipped a beat. "Primitive?" she echoed.

Alex shrugged. "Well, it wasn't _savage_ , but you were running for your life,"

Judy couldn't think. How on _earth_ did she go _primitive_!? Was it because she pushed herself too hard? Or was it because of other circumstances?

"All I know is," Alex was saying. "I think it would be best _not_ to run for a day or two. At least until those 'eal up. Another nasty crash, and you could end up in the 'ospital."

Judy brought herself back to reality, and smiled at Alex. "Thank you, Alex,"

Alex smiled back. "Oh, no problem. Anything for the bunny who 'elped out Zootopia! I would be out of a business if it weren't for you!"

Again, the compliment almost immediately went to Judy's head, and again, Alex noticed it.

"I best be getting back," he said, packing up the remaining bandages and returning them to his car. "I'll see you again soon, then?"

Judy nodded. "I'll be waiting for your rematch!"

Alex let out a hearty laugh. "Alright then, another time!" With that, the leopard started his car and drove away. Judy chuckled to herself, although _something_ was eating at her; she couldn't place her paw on it, though.

She shrugged the feeling away and took a swig from her water bottle. She grimaced as one of her cuts sent a reminder that it was still there. Judy sighed sadly. She had some explaining to do when she got home.

* * *

The bell above the door rang as Alex entered his shop.

"Ron!" he called, his Cockney accent gone. It was replaced with a sinister, yet smooth, English accent. "Ron, where are you?"

"Right here, Hunter!" Ron said, his voice coming from Hunter's right. After Hunter turned, Ron took a quick glance at the torn shirt. "How'd it go?"

Hunter smirked. "It went wonderfully. For a bunny, she's rather pleasant company. She runs as fast as lightning, though. _Especially_ when she feels threatened."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "How'd you figure that one out?"

"Oh, just a little growl is enough to make _any_ prey begin to panic. Judy was already pushing her body to its limits, so the panic mixed with adrenaline threw her into a primitive state. I'll bet you she's _never_ felt anything like that in her _life_."

Ron smirked. "So you scared a cop. Anything else?"

Hunter shot a look at Ron that froze the bobcat in place. "Fear, Ron, is a powerful weapon. You saw how Bellwether commanded it during the Night Howler Case! I've seen _just_ how afraid Judy could be, and I'm positive that when faced with someone she _truly_ fears," Hunter smiled at the thought. "Oh, she will be _terrified_. So terrified, in fact, that just to get away she'll push herself far enough to make her little heart explode."

* * *

"Carrots, what happened?" Nick asked as Judy entered the living room. Her state – bandages on her legs, arms, and face – were reason enough for concern.

"I tripped and fell," Judy said, giving Nick only the _basic_ facts.

Nick walked over to Judy, a skeptical look on his face. "While doing what? Racing against a cheetah!?"

"Well, more like racing against a. . . snow leopard," Judy said, not meeting Nick's gaze.

Nick's face was one of surprise and pride. "You raced a snow leopard?"

Judy still did not meet Nick's gaze, reminding the fox of a child in trouble.

"Did you win?"

Judy looked up into Nick's eyes, surprised to not see any anger in them. She blushed a little as she nodded.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of you Carrots," Nick said, smiling proudly. "Who was he?"

"His name was Alex Hunt. He's the owner of that shop where we met that bobcat yesterday. Oh, he also apologizes for how Ron acted."

Nick chuckled in spite of himself. He then gestured to her bandages. "So I'm guessing you ran too fast, maybe even overshot the finish line, and crashed?"

Judy nodded and Nick rolled his eyes. "Did you bandage yourself? Or were you so soft that you needed help?" Nick asked, a sly smile creeping onto his face as he walked over to the bunny. He leaned forward, his paws on his knees so that he could be at eye level with Judy.

Nick couldn't dodge the lightning-fast punch that Judy launched at his shoulder. "Ow!" he said, rubbing his shoulder as Judy stepped away from the fox.

"You're not going to let me live that down, are you?" she asked, her paws on her hips.

Nick looked into Judy's eyes, his eyes filled with mischief. "Not on your life," he replied.

Judy tried to keep a straight face, but soon the two both erupted into laughter. Nick gently wrapped his arms around Judy and hugged her close.

"Come on, Carrots," he said, kissing her forehead. "You need a shower."

"Only if you join me," Judy said dreamily, her eyes half-lidded. Nick's ears perked at the remark; he hurried his efforts to lead the bunny into the bedroom.

They undressed, fortunate enough that Pronk and Bucky were not arguing at the moment. Nick picked Judy up, surprising the bunny, and carried her into the master bathroom. It was a rather large and beautiful bathroom. A door to the right closed off the toilet, the two sinks lining the wall opposite Nick and Judy. The shower was big, a welcome trait for the couple. Nick let Judy go and started the shower.

Surprisingly, hot water almost immediately began pouring from the shower head; this, too, was a welcome trait. Nick again picked Judy up and carried her into the shower, careful not to hold her head directly under the steaming water. Yet.

"Nick, I _am_ capable of walking around the house by myself," she said, but she made no move to leave his arms.

Nick smiled slyly at Judy. "Oh, but that's nowhere _near_ as fun, is it Carrots?"

Judy smiled, snuggling up to Nick so that their noses touched. Nick smiled back, but his was one of mischief.

"Alright Carrots," Nick said. "Let's get you clean." As he said this, Judy could see his plans unravel in his eyes. She began to struggle out of his grip, but it was too late: Nick already had Judy where he wanted.

The hot water poured over Judy's face and ears, the heat surprising her at first.

"Nick!" she cried, covering her face with her paws. She wanted to sound mad, but the bright smile on her face betrayed her.

"What?" Nick asked, bringing her out from under the water for a moment. "Isn't this how bunnies shower?"

Judy shot him a look, arms crossing over her chest. "Really?" she asked. " _That's_ your best excuse?"

Nick's ears folded back, his gaze lowering. "Yeah, that one was a bit weak," he agreed. "I guess _this_ will have to do instead!"

Judy quickly brought her arms up and over her face to block the water. She held the pose for a few moments, but she soon realized that this was a battle she could not win. So instead, she flung her arms back behind her and allowed the water to run over her face and down her body. She winced slightly as some of her cuts stung, but the hot water was rejuvenating.

Nick smiled as he studied Judy. Every part of her was beautiful: her wet fur, her warm smile, her amethyst eyes. Before he knew it, Nick's instincts were kicking in, telling his body to lean forward. His left paw held her head, his right paw on the small of her back, holding her weight. He pulled her into a passionate kiss, which Judy was more than happy to return.

The couple stood there, under the shower, holding their kiss. They looked like a pair of tango dancers frozen in that one, perfect moment.

Reluctantly, Nick broke the kiss to allow them both to breathe. Judy's amethyst eyes were filled with bliss as she clung to Nick, who was more than happy to keep her in his arms.

"Have I ever told you that I love you, Judy?" Nick asked, his heart beating faster. Judy giggled at his remark.

"No, I don't think you have," she joked, bringing her muzzle close to his.

"Well then," Nick said, his mind filling with ecstasy. "I'd better start."

He kissed her again with more passion than before. After what felt like an eternity – but was really just a few moments – Nick broke the kiss and looked deeply into Judy's eyes.

"I love you,"

He kissed her again, breaking the kiss after a few moments.

"I love you,"

He kissed her one last time, lingering a little longer on her lips.

"I love you,"

Judy smiled up at her fox, blushing under his love-filled gaze. She caressed his cheek with her paw, Nick leaning his head into her touch.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde," she said as she kissed Nick. "I love you too."

* * *

"YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU SHUT UP!"

"NO YOU SHUT UP!"

" _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

From their bed, snuggled together under their covers, Nick and Judy stared at the wall with annoyance as the two roommates bickered. Nick turned to Judy, who had turned to him.

"I'm telling you, getting a new apartment would be the smartest thing to do," Nick protested.

Judy smiled slyly up at him. "We'll have to move everything again," she said. "And I'm not sure that Mr. Big could send us some help; he _is_ a very busy crime boss after all,"

Nick opened his mouth to challenge the bunny, but he closed it after a moment. She had won another battle.

Nick's phone rang, startling both bunny and fox. Nick glanced at the caller, his ears folding back. He answered the phone with a simple, "Wilde here."

Judy couldn't hear anything of the conversation from the other end, and all that Nick said was the occasional, "Yes, Yes sir, Alright," and finally, "We're on our way," before hanging up.

"Who was it?" Judy asked, the look on Nick's face concerning her.

"It was Chief Bogo," he replied, not meeting Judy's gaze. "A cougar was just attacked."

"What?" Judy asked. "Who attacked him?"

Nick turned to Judy, the look in his eyes only making Judy feel worse.

"A vixen named Vivian Rose. She went. . . savage."

 


	7. Old Demons, New Nightmares

The heart monitor machine sounded a short _beep_ at regular intervals, much to the relief of the doctors and cops present. Vivian Rose lay unconscious in the bed, IVs and breathing tubes keeping her alive. Occasionally, the vixen would twitch as if she was having a bad dream, gasping sharply. The state she was in was enough to make _any_ animal take pity on the poor creature; even Nick.

An odd mixture of feelings churned inside of the fox. He felt guilty for how he had treated her those weeks ago; he felt angry for how _she_ had treated _him_. He felt relieved that she finally got what she deserved; he felt pained that she got what _no_ animal deserved.

Judy stood beside Nick, but she wasn't looking at the vixen in the room. She was regarding Nick, her eyes filled with pity. She could only imagine how conflicted Nick felt about Vivian being in the hospital, and because of this Judy didn't feel like she could be of much help. So instead of trying to talk to Nick about it, she rested a paw on his arm, bringing the fox's attention to her. Upon looking into her amethyst eyes, Nick smiled, his inner battle fading away. The duo then turned back to the conversation Chief Bogo was having with the head doctor – a small and kindly sheep.

"She is in a catatonic state," the doctor said to the trio of cops. "She's no threat to anyone right now, but there could be a different story if and when she wakes up."

"When did she go under?" the chief asked, jotting down notes into his phone.

"My guess is that she went catatonic about five minutes after she went savage," the doctor said, glancing at the clipboard in his hoof. "Unfortunately, we can't tell for sure if Bellwether's Night Howler serum was used."

"Why not?" Nick asked, the last bit of information worrying him.

"While we did find traces of Night Howler in the vixen's fur after she went catatonic, our antidotes have not worked," the doctor said.

"So, we may be dealing with a _new_ serum?" Judy asked, her ears folding back in concern.

The doctor nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so."

A grim silence momentarily fell over the group. Judy glanced up at Nick, noticing that the fox was deep in thought. Finally, Nick broke the silence.

"Could we have a sample to take back to our forensics team?" Nick asked. The sheep nodded.

Bogo hid a proud smile; _Clever,_ he thought.

Judy nudged Nick gently. "Our forensics team is entirely made up of sloths," she said under her breath as the doctor entered the room to retrieve the sample.

Nick smiled slyly at Judy. "Not _our_ forensics team," he whispered. Judy scrunched her eyebrows together, scouring her brain for any idea who Nick may be referring to.

The doctor returned with a small vial, which Nick took happily. "Thank you, doctor,"

The sheep nodded again. "My pleasure. Now, if you will all follow me," he said as he began walking down the hallway. "I'll take you to Ms. Rose's victim."

The trio followed the small sheep down the hallway, an air of tension building among them. They didn't walk far; the cougar was in a room about five doors down from where Vivian was being kept.

Judy gasped as they entered. The cougar was in a _much_ worse state than the vixen.

The cougar was covered with bloody bandages, but even those could not cover all of the damage that was done to the poor predator. Raw gashes and cuts could be seen on his arms, tail, and even across his face. His heart monitor sounded a short _beep_ , but the intervals were further apart than Vivian's.

Multiple IVs were hooked up to the cougar, one filled with medicine, another filled with a supply of blood. Breathing tubes protruded from the cougar's snout; because of these tubes the cougar's chest rose and fell in regular – albeit shaky – intervals.

"His name is Calvin Cougar," the doctor said, retrieving the clipboard from the end of the bed. "He owns a flower shop in Tundra Town that happened to be robbed a few weeks back."

Nick nodded. "I remember. Vivian was the assistant there," he added. Uncomfortable memories began to fill his mind again, but one glance at Judy helped Nick to clear his mind.

"He has no known aliases, but he does have a wife and three kids," the sheep went on, reading the file. "They have been notified about the incident; they'll be here any minute to visit him,"

Judy lowered her gaze, clasping her paws together over her chest; Nick wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her close to him, much to Judy's relief.

"Does he have any known enemies?" Nick asked. "Anyone that might want to hurt him?"

"No, he doesn't," Bogo said, this information from _his_ area of expertise. "And he has no criminal background."

"Maybe this was a random attack?" Judy asked, doubting herself as she asked the question.

"Until we find more evidence, that is all we can assume," Chief Bogo said, rubbing the bridge of his snout with his fingers.

A concerned silence fell over the group. Judy again glanced up at Nick, not surprised to see the wheels turning in his head. This time, however, Chief Bogo broke the silence.

"Thank you, doctor," he said, bowing his head in thanks. "We'll keep in touch."

The sheep nodded, leading them out of the room.

"As for you two," Bogo said after they exited the room, turning to Nick and Judy. "You get some sleep. I'll see you two at briefing tomorrow morning,"

"Yes sir," Nick and Judy said in unison. With that, they were dismissed.

Nick drove while Judy sat in the passenger's seat. Silence hung over them like a thick blanket, both Nick and Judy thinking over the events of the night.

"Why would someone have a predator attack _another_ predator?" Judy asked aloud, more just to break the silence than to have Nick answer her.

"I think Mr. Cougar was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Nick said. He then groaned, hitting his forehead with his paw. "I forgot to ask the chief if there were any other mammals present during the attack! We'd have a stronger lead if we knew that information,"

Judy smiled in spite of herself; seeing Nick _really_ care about a case was always refreshing. "We can get that information out of him after briefing tomorrow."

Nick sighed. "You're right Carrots. You're right," he said, seemingly calming down. Judy, however, could tell that there was more to Nick's frustration that what he was letting on.

"Anything else bothering you, Nick?" Judy asked. Nick glanced at her, a sly smile creeping across his face.

"I can't hide anything from you Carrots, can I?" he asked. Turning back to the road, he added, "Are all bunnies so nosy, or just you?"

He cringed as pain erupted on his right arm; Judy had punched him in reply to his remark. His cringe morphed into a chuckle as Judy glared at him, not letting up.

"Alright Carrots, you win," he said. He inhaled, gathering his thoughts. "I've got a plan. After the briefing, we'll visit an old friend and get some information from her. Then we visit _our_ forensics team and find out what the new serum is made of."

"Okay, what else?" Judy asked, hanging on to every word Nick said.

"If there were any other mammals present during the attack, I think we should go talk to some of them after we're done with forensics," Nick said.

Judy looked at her fox with a proud smile. "Clever fox," she said.

Nick glanced at her, a sly smile on his face. "I was only peeved because I was planning a _very_ romantic dinner date, but now we may have to talk with witnesses."

At first, Judy thought Nick was joking, so she had put on a smile telling the fox that she was on to him. After a moment, Judy realized that Nick _might_ have been serious, so her smile faded.

"Wait, you're serious?" she asked.

Nick said nothing, hoping against all hope that he could keep a straight face while Judy grew conflicted. He had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road as Judy's ears began to droop.

Judy was trying to find a way to talk to the witnesses – if any – and _still_ have time for his _very_ romantic dinner date.

"Well, we could. . ." she began but trailed off after a moment.

She gasped, an idea popping into her head. "I know! We can. . ." again she trailed off, the idea fading almost immediately.

She opened her mouth to add a possibility but closed it again.

Finally, she slumped back into her seat in defeat, her gaze lowered. "I'm sorry Nick," she said at last; Nick was practically fighting back tears; miraculously, his face was as still as stone. "But this case is more important."

Nick couldn't hold back anymore. He startled Judy as he began laughing. After a few moments, Judy caught on.

"Oh, you _weren't_ serious!" she said, punching Nick again in the arm. "You dumb fox!"

Nick hardly felt the punch, still laughing. What Judy didn't know was that this laugh did much more for Nick. Unrecognized stress faded away, weights Nick didn't even know he was carrying fell off of his shoulders. The guilt he felt for Vivian disappeared, the fear he felt for Judy's safety vanished.

And it felt great.

Nick sighed, finally calming down. "Sorry Carrots, I couldn't resist." He glanced over to Judy and was a little disappointed in himself to see Judy with a hurt expression on her face. Nick realized then that _she_ may have some hidden stress bottled up.

"Tell you what," he said, reaching over and petting her ears lovingly. "We'll _make_ time tomorrow for a dinner date; my treat."

Nick was relieved to see a bright light fill Judy's amethyst eyes as she smiled. "Oh, alright Nick. But you better keep your promise," she said, mockingly scolding the fox.

Nick raised his free paw in defense. "Carrots, I am a _fox_ of my _word_ ," he said, pretending to be insulted. "I'd _never_ forget a dinner date with you,"

Judy chuckled, placing her paws on her hips. "I don't mean that Nick," she said, leaning toward Nick. "I mean your promise to pay for it."

Nick opened his muzzle, a ready-made response for a different retort about to escape. He closed it back, his eyes wide with surprise. He scoured his brain, trying to think of _anything_ witty to get Judy back, but again, she had won the battle.

 _This bunny's going to be the death of me,_ Nick thought for definitely _not_ the first time.

Judy chuckled again, her victory prominent on Nick's face. Silence again fell upon the couple, but it was certainly a lighter, happier silence than before.

"Wait a minute," Judy said, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion.

"What?" Nick asked, his ears perking at her voice.

"Who's the 'old friend' we're visiting tomorrow?"

* * *

"I was wondering when you two would come visit little old me," the small sheep said, not taking her eyes off of the broken television set. At the moment, the screen was completely filled with static, but the sheep watched on; it would return to the same boring sitcom any minute.

"All we want to know, Bellwether, is if you can tell us anything about the savage attack last night," Nick asked. He had his arm around Judy's shoulder and was hugging her close; it was more for his comfort than it was for hers.

"Oh, so he's finally gotten around to live experiments, has he?" Bellwether said playfully, finally turning her hazel gaze to the couple. She hopped off of her chair and walked towards the cell door; she stood close enough that she could reach out and play with Nick's blue tie if she wanted to.

"Who is _he_?" Judy asked, keeping her voice sharp. Truth be told, the couple was terrified. Sure Bellwether couldn't _really_ do anything to harm them; she was a small sheep, Nick and Judy were a bunny and a fox – not to mention being cops.

No, what terrified them was the _psychological_ damage she could do. It was two years ago that they realized just how _smart_ Bellwether was; everything she did was planned. From helping place Judy on the Otterton case, to having Judy speak at the press conference. If they hadn't been one step ahead of her in the museum, Judy would be dead, Nick would be locked up like a wild animal, and Zootopia would be brutally split in two.

" _He_ ," Bellwether said, smiling; she read everything that went on behind their steely eyes like an open book. "is an old friend who shares my ideals, but he has a _much_ bigger passion for it. Unlike me, he will do absolutely _anything_ to meet his goals."

"Could you tell us his name?" Nick asked, growing slightly annoyed; he was catching on to her game, not appreciative of how she was toying with them.

"Oh, he had such a wonderful name," Bellwether said, a dreamy look filling her eyes. That only lasted a moment, though, for her eyes immediately became sharp and steely as she returned her gaze to the couple. "But he goes by Hunter, now."

The name rang a distant bell in Judy's head, but she pushed it aside; whatever the reminder was, it could wait. "Do you know what _kind_ of animal he is?" the bunny asked.

Bellwether mocked taking offense, placing her little hooves on her hips and shifting her weight over. "Come on now, Judy," she scolded. "I can't give you _everything_ now, can I? Hunter _is_ an old friend after all. In fact, it would be like _you_ ratting out _Nick_!"

There was something about the way the sheep said that last sentence that made the hearts of both Nick and Judy skip a beat. Maybe it was her playful tone or the underlying message. . . neither Nick nor Judy could pinpoint it.

"What I _will_ tell you, however, is this," Bellwether said, grabbing the attention of both cops. "Hunter is _very_ dangerous. We had our shot at love, but we let our differences get in the way. All of that heartbreak has bubbled up inside and changed him. He now _loathes_ animals like you two: predator and prey who won't let their differences get between them and their friendship. Predator and prey who are willing to take the next step and get _hitched_! Predator and prey," a sly smile crept over her face. "Who will soon find out that inter-species breeding has been achievable since our evolution. If you're not careful, Hunter will rip you two to shreds."

Nick felt sick to his stomach. He and Judy had dealt with many tough criminals in their two years on the force together, but Hunter was different. If Hunter was _exactly_ who Bellwether said, then Judy was in a _lot_ of danger.

Judy was afraid as well. She didn't feel afraid for herself; she knew how to take care of bigger animals and come out on top. No, she felt afraid for all of animal-kind. With Hunter at large in Zootopia, safety for both predator and prey will soon be an unattainable dream. She hugged Nick tighter, his warmth easing her fear.

Bellwether smirked; toying with other animals was definitely something she was good at. Suddenly and slowly, though, an odd feeling crept inside of the small sheep. She thought that maybe her heart suddenly decided to reach out to the two cops, to help them in any way she could; after all, they had gone to _her_ when they needed help. Maybe it was because the little guys needed to stick together.

No, that wasn't it. . .

Bellwether took a moment to process the new sensation that had enveloped her. She realized that she wasn't suddenly feeling _good_ again; no, she still despised Lionheart and all of the other animals that had looked down on her all of her life. She also didn't suddenly feel like she _had_ to help Nick and Judy; they had played the major role in her going to jail, so why should she help them?

No, what she was feeling was a deep-rooted instinct. An instinct that had no place in the modern animal utopia.

What Bellwether felt was an almost uncontrollable urge to remain safe.

She realized that if Hunter won, even _she_ wouldn't be safe from his madness. No one, prey _or_ predator, would be safe. She also realized that the only animals in all of Zootopia that could stop Hunter were right in front of her.

"Listen, I like you two," Bellwether said, "You're clever, brave, _and_ stubborn beyond belief. I _almost_ felt bad when I tried to kill you two," Bellwether smirked; Nick and Judy didn't. "But Hunter. . . He won't show any mercy. He'll find you when you're least expecting it. He'll kill you in the way you fear most, and being the showman he is, he'll probably reveal it to the world for every mammal to see. In fact, he might even tear your relationship apart in the process,"

Bellwether sighed, turning to begin her walk back to the chair. Nick and Judy felt _very_ afraid, as if Hunter was behind them the entire time. Nick, however, turned that fear into anger.

"Wait, we're not done yet," Nick growled, startling Judy. The fox then reached into his uniform pocket and revealed the vial. "What can you tell us about the new serum?"

Bellwether turned back to the fox, an annoyed look on her face. "Nothing," she said indifferently. "Hunter hasn't told me _anything_ about his plans; the closest he's come was when he told me that he's almost won."

"So he's visited you?" Judy asked, her ears perking up.

Bellwether smiled slyly. "Of _course_ he has," she said as she gestured to the security camera mounted on the wall behind Nick and Judy. "If you're lucky, maybe that tape is still intact."

Nick and Judy glanced at each other and then turned back to the sheep. Bellwether had returned to her chair, lazily watching the television. The couple took the opportunity to leave, but not before retrieving the security tapes for later review from the warden.

Right now they had to get the serum to _their_ forensics team.

* * *

"I have not heard from you two for a while," the tiny voice of Mr. Big said, a warm smile on the shrew's face. While Mr. Big was _the_ biggest crime boss in all of Zootopia, he was a welcome change from Bellwether. Nick and Judy stood politely, relieved just to be away from the prison. "For what do I owe this pleasure?" Mr. Big said, turning to Judy.

"We've been working on a case, and we were hoping you'd be able to help," Judy said.

Mr. Big sighed. "The case of the robbed florists?" he asked, seemingly uninterested in the topic. "You need Otterton's help; not mine,"

"I'm afraid we're dealing with something. . . different," Judy said. The serious light in her eyes was enough to grab Mr. Big's full attention. "We think we're facing a new savage animal outbreak."

"We were wondering if you knew anyone who has any _decent_ amount of knowledge and skill in forensic science," Nick said, retrieving the vial from his uniform pocket. "The team at the station. . . well. . . they just wouldn't get the job done as fast as we think one of _your_ guys could."

Mr. Big sighed again, deep in thought. Nick and Judy waited patiently, but being surrounded by enormous polar bears _can_ be a bit unnerving.

Finally, the little shrew broke the silence.

"I know someone who may be of help," he began. Mr. Big motioned for the polar bear behind him – Jim – to write down directions. "He's the Family doctor. While he may seem a bit shifty, he's very reliable. Coincidentally, he's also ex-cop; I think you can guess what his profession was then," he added with a sly smile.

Jim tore off the slip of paper from his little pad and handed it to the fox. Nick and Judy bowed in thanks, keeping with tradition.

"Thank you, Mr. Big," Judy said, smiling. "For everything."

Mr. Big returned her smile and held out his paw. Judy and Nick took turns gently kissing Mr. Big's ring, although being _much_ bigger than the rat made this difficult.

The two cops excused themselves from Mr. Big's lounge, Nick scanning the slip of paper that had been handed to him.

"So, where are we heading?" Judy asked as they entered their car.

Nick turned on the ignition before answering Judy.

"We're going to Sahara Square."

* * *

"His name is Connor Lyon," Mr. Big's words echoed in Nick and Judy's heads as they drove up to the small, dilapidated building. "Don't let his home deceive you; he's _very_ well kept."

Nick and Judy walked up to the door, the rotting wood a sickly brown in color. Hesitating slightly, Nick gave the wood a gentle knock, afraid it might break under the pressure. To his surprise, the door was very sturdy, making the weak knock barely audible. With an embarrassed chuckle and a quick glance to Judy, Nick knocked harder.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" a muffled voice said from behind the door, its Brooklyn accent very prominent. The sounds of multiple locks clicking, sliding, and scraping could be heard for a full five seconds before the door opened a crack. The masked face of a raccoon poked out and analyzed the two cops. His face then morphed into one of fear and disgust.

"Go away!" the raccoon said, slinking back inside. Nick and Judy both tried to get a word in, but the raccoon slammed the door before either of them could speak. "I don't want any trouble!"

"Sir, we don't want to cause any," Judy said, stepping closer to the door. "We're friends of Mr. Big, and we're looking for a Mr. Lyon. We were told that he could help us."

The silence that followed did not bode well with the two cops. Judy turned back to Nick, looking for _any_ advice from the fox. Nick merely shrugged, just as confused as the bunny. Judy rolled her eyes angrily as she turned back to the door.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door slowly creaked open. The raccoon's head again poked out from the door, a cautionary look on his face. "Mr. Big _really_ sent you?"

Judy nodded. "I'm his granddaughter's godmother if that's of any help,"

The raccoon's eyes widened. " _You're_ the one who Fru Fru kept talking about during the delivery!?" He looked at the bunny from head to tail. "I thought you'd be taller."

Nick snickered behind Judy; if Judy hadn't been trying to stay professional, she would have socked him right then and there. The raccoon noticed the snicker and looked behind Judy.

Gesturing with his snout, he asked, "Who's that?"

"That is Officer Nick Wilde," Judy said, moving so that Nick was in full view. "He's my partner."

The raccoon looked between the two cops, searching for anything that could prove whether or not they were lying. Upon finding nothing to arouse suspicion, the raccoon opened the door enough for Nick and Judy to enter. The two cops noticed the raccoon's dirty brown jacket and faded denim jeans. "Come on in," the raccoon said, gesturing inside the doorway with his paw.

The inside of the building did not match the outside in any way, shape, or form. Little trinkets, souvenirs, and objects took up every square inch of shelf space. Surprisingly, though, everything was kept clean; not a speck of dust could be found on anything.

"Sorry about the mess," the raccoon said, leading the two cops further into the building. Tainted skylights cast a blue light on the large entryway, contrasting the warmer oranges coming from the other rooms. Stairs led up to a second-floor balcony where more doors could be seen.

Nick moved closer to Judy, taking in their surroundings. "Great," he mumbled to the bunny under his breath. "We're dealing with a hoarder,"

"Oh no, Officer Wilde, I'm afraid it's much worse," the raccoon said, not even turning back to the couple as he led them on. "You're dealing with a kleptomaniac."

Nick's jaw dropped in surprise as the raccoon chuckled. Judy jabbed Nick in the stomach with her elbow, shooting the fox a look that said, "Really, Nick?"

Nick held his paws up in defense, his look asking, "What?"

Finally, the trio entered one of the doors into an apartment. It wasn't as cluttered as the rest of the building, but it had its share of objects and trinkets. The raccoon took a seat, motioning for Nick and Judy to do the same.

"Before I explain _anything_ to you two, you're going to tell me what you need," the raccoon said, leaning forward after Nick and Judy got comfortable.

"We need Connor Lyon," Nick said, his gaze cold and professional.

The raccoon smiled. "You've got him," he said, gesturing to himself. "Now what?"

"We were told that you used to be on the force," Judy said. "I believe that Mr. Big was hinting at the fact that you used to work in forensics,"

Connor nodded. "I did. Depending on the situation, I still am."

Nick rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to be hustled by a raccoon; his pride had been hurt enough when Judy hustled him two years ago. "I've got a situation for you. How about helping us keeps you _out_ of jail?" he asked, his gaze cold.

Connor laughed coldly. "Very funny _fox_ ," he snapped. "I've done my time. Mr. Big probably didn't tell you, but I was kicked from the force because of my. . . 'condition.' After getting off for good behavior, Mr. Big took me in. This place," he said, gesturing around himself. "Used to be an apartment complex til it nearly burned down. Funny what people leave behind as they flee to safety," he added with a smile.

"What does _that_ have anything to do with the current situation," Nick asked, clearly not in the mood for this.

"It means that I _haven't_ stolen anything, officer," Connor said with a sly smile. "You can't throw me in jail,"

Nick opened his mouth to make a retort but closed it after a moment. He groaned internally; he was losing his touch.

Judy gave Nick a reassuring look and then turned back to the raccoon. "Fine. What can we do to have you help us?"

Connor smiled. "Officer, you being close to my boss is enough; I wouldn't want the little shrew getting on my case. What do you need?"

Nick was about ready to strangle the life out of the raccoon by that moment, but a careful glance from Judy calmed him down significantly; her amethyst gaze was always soothing.

"We need you to analyze this serum," Judy said, gently motioning to Nick for the vial. Nick complied but said nothing. "We need to know what's in it."

Connor took the vial and studied the blue liquid carefully. "I'm guessing you're coming to me because the team at the station's. . . well, slow?" he asked.

Judy nodded.

"Then I'll get this analyzed right away," the raccoon said, getting up from his chair. "There's not a lot to look into, so hang tight. I'll be right back."

Connor left Nick and Judy in the room. Nick could feel another conversation about to start, though.

"Nick, what's wrong?" Judy asked after making sure the raccoon was out of earshot. Right on cue.

Nick sighed, his ears folded back in annoyance. "I'm sorry Carrots," he said, turning towards her amethyst gaze. "Connor just rubs me the wrong way, I guess."

"Bellwether didn't help, either," Judy said, slumping back into her seat; she was feeling more stressed than normal as well. "Today's just a day for tense nerves."

Nick's mood softened as he looked at his wife; if she could keep a cool head, why couldn't he? He reached over, grasping her paw in his. Judy smiled softly and turned her gaze back to Nick. A lighter, friendlier silence fell over the room.

After about five minutes, Connor returned with the vial. "I couldn't run an in-depth analysis," he began, handing the vial back to Judy. "But this serum is definitely unique,"

"How so?" Nick asked, his mood lighter than before.

"Well, for starters, the main ingredient is _Mendicampum Holicifius_ , or Night Howlers, but these guys haven't fully matured. And, not only was their growth accelerated using various chemicals and hormones, but adrenaline's been thrown into the mix. This, my friends, is a _very_ deadly concoction," Connor said grimly. "Any animal hit with this is lucky to survive," turning to Nick, the raccoon added. "I hope your wife is alright, Wilde,"

This last statement threw both cops off guard. "M-my wife?" Nick stammered.

Connor nodded. "The sample you gave me contained a bit of vixen fur, so I just assumed. . ."

Nick chuckled, his cheeks growing red and his ears folding back with embarrassment. "Oh no, the vixen's not my wife. She's more of. . . an a-acquaintance," he said, finding the gentlest word for Vivian he could think of.

"I'm sorry," Connor said, slightly embarrassed himself. "Just going out on a limb,"

"No worries," Nick said. "Anyway, thank you for your help,"

"My pleasure," Connor said, getting up to lead them out of the jungle of trinkets that was his home.

"Take care, and be careful!" the raccoon said as the two cops entered their car.

The drive back home was silent except for Connor's words echoing in the minds of the two cops; it did nothing for their already high-strung nerves, but the words kept echoing anyway.

"Any animal hit with this is lucky to survive."

* * *

"Never have I been so torn about not having witnesses," Judy said as she and Nick entered their apartment. The sun was already below the horizon, and the events of the day had unfortunately deterred any hopes of a calm, romantic dinner.

Nick chuckled, but it felt forced to the both of them. "At least we can finally get some rest," he said, wrapping his arms around Judy. The bunny sighed, leaning her weight into her fox.

"What should we make for dinner?" Nick asked, remembering his promise of a dinner date.

Judy sighed. "I'm thinking we stay here and eat. Today has _not_ been a good day."

Nick chuckled. "Alright. Dinner date another time, then?"

Judy nodded against his chest.

* * *

Lightning violently streaked across the dark sky, wind threatening to bring down the tall oak trees atop of Nick. Rain fell in torrents, effectively blinding Nick as he ran. The ground quickly grew slippery with mud; more than once did Nick fall, becoming covered head to tail with mud.

Thunder shook the ground, the tall trees creaking from the strain. Branches were torn off, falling from unbelievable heights. Nick had to dodge many of these branches as they moved at fatal speeds thanks to the wind. The rain didn't help the fox, however, and more than once did Nick get a branch to the muzzle.

Nick ran faster than he had ever run before, panic coursing through his veins. He couldn't hear her screams, which didn't help his mood. He tripped over a root, cartwheeling forward and hitting a puddle of mud with a dull splat. He picked himself up only to duck back down to avoid decapitation by a flying branch.

Carefully checking the skies as best he could for any more falling branches, Nick got back up and began running again. He fell to all fours, navigating the forest a bit better than before. Finally, he found a spark of hope: her scent. The sweet smell of blueberries and carrots reached out to Nick, _just_ overpowering the aromas of mud, damp leaves, and rain.

He turned to his right, darting back and forth between trees to avoid more branches. The rain still did not let up; in fact, it began to rain _harder_ , as if the storm itself was trying to stop Nick. The fox decided to rely on his nose, her scent getting stronger with every stride.

Lightning struck in the sky, almost blinding the fox. Thunder followed closely, shaking the forest below and tearing off more branches. Nick rolled to the left in time to avoid a rather thick branch that would have killed him on impact. Picking himself up, the fox dashed ahead, her scent drawing him closer.

Finally, the fox came into a circular clearing. He hopped over the one root that would have immobilized him, landing gracefully on all four paws. There she was, right where she should be. Suddenly, she whipped towards the fox, the look on her face one of fear.

The fox growled, its wet fur bristling. Its emerald eyes analyzed its prey, looking for any escape route she may have. Saliva drooled from the fox's maw, its teeth bared. Hunger coursed through its body.

She stood there, unable to move. The fox slowly circled her, its growl intensifying. It noticed another look in her eyes: the look of someone who had been betrayed. The fox didn't care at the moment, however; it was so hungry.

"Nick," she said, her voice barely audible over the roaring winds. "Why?"

Suddenly, Nick attacked, launching himself at her with a frightening speed. Judy's scream was cut short as Nick's teeth tore into her neck.

 

 


	8. Doubts and Divisions

**Huge thank you to some authors over on FF.net (who knows, they may have profiles on here) for their help with this chapter. If you're interested in checking them out, they're Zootopia Fulf and lilpurplebird over on FF.net.**

"Nick, are you alright?" Judy asked as the couple drove to the station. "You haven't been yourself ever since you woke up,"

The fox said nothing, his eyes fixed on some distant point out past the window. His ears were folded back, his shoulders slumped. He hasn't even made _one_ snarky quip today; sure there was the rest of the day, but this just wasn't like Nick.

The car came to the Main Street stoplight, infamous for long red lights. They stopped, Judy taking a moment to study her husband. As she sadly realized his fur's natural red glow was very dull, her memories turned to last night.

She had been jerked from her sleep as Nick kept tossing and turning last night, and she had begun to grow scared when she couldn't wake him up. When Nick had suddenly grasped the bed sheets, his body going rigid as he screamed in pain, Judy had nearly called the hospital. To her relief, Nick had calmed down after that, falling into what seemed to be an uncomfortable, dreamless sleep.

"Nick?" Judy asked again, returning to her thoughts as the stoplight turned green. Still, the fox did not answer.

Judy considered forcing Nick's attention, whether that be with a punch in the shoulder or a bad joke that he would still laugh at. She sighed; it wouldn't be right. Nick would explain himself when he was ready; rarely did things work out _better_ when he was forced to do something. Judy could see the station ahead, the morning sun casting a warm yellow light while the buildings on either side of the street were still in blue shadow. It was quite the sight, normally filling Judy with a sense of purpose. But right now, however, she didn't feel encouraged.

They entered the parking lot, the early hours of the day leaving it mostly empty. Judy parked the car with ease, and gently nudged Nick's shoulder.

"Nick, we're here," she said, hoping the fox would respond. To her relief, he did.

"Alright, Carrots," he said, turning to her. He gave her a sly smile, but she could tell it was forced.

As they entered the building, nearly every single cop could tell that something was _off_ about the couple; it was as if Nick and Judy carried some rancid smell inside with them and every sensitive nose in the station was simultaneously assaulted by it.

"Hello, you two!" Clawhauser greeted, trying to lighten the mood between the fox and bunny.  
"You guys ready for a great day?"

Judy opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by the muffled voice of Gazelle declaring, "You are one hot dancer, Benjamin Clawhauser!"

The cheetah's cheeks went red as he fumbled to retrieve his phone from his pocket. "Sorry about that," he said as he closed the app, embarrassed. "I was – I was sure I had turned the darn thing off," he chuckled nervously.

Judy giggled softly. "It's alright, Ben," she said. "As for the great day, I don't -" she turned to Nick, but he wasn't there. "Nick?"

She looked left and right, but the fox was nowhere to be found. "Ben, did you see where Nick went?"

The cheetah shrugged, looking around to aid in the search. He even looked under his desk, _just_ in case the fox had decided to hide under there for any reason. "I didn't see him leave," he said. "He may have just walked on to briefing."

That wasn't like him. "Alright," Judy said, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Ben. I'll see you later,"

The cheetah waved at Judy before returning to his bowl of Lucky Chomps. He couldn't shake the feeling, however, that Nick _wasn't_ in the briefing room.

* * *

There was a soft knock on the door, drawing Bogo's attention away from the new stack of cases on his desk. Every one of them was a new savage animal attack.

"Come in," he said, slightly exasperated; today was not going to be good.

Bogo was slightly surprised as Nick walked into the office, closing the door silently behind him. There was something _off_ about the fox, though. Bogo took a moment to analyze Nick. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes downcast. Heck, even his fur was practically drooping!

"Nick," Bogo said after a moment. He crossed his massive arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "Shouldn't you be with Judy? Briefing's about to start,"

The fox sighed. "I. . . I need to talk to you, Chief Bogo," Nick said.

Alarm bells were ringing in the bull's head. One: Nick was _always_ with Judy. Two: Nick _never_ needed to talk to Chief Bogo unless he and Judy were done with a case. Three: Nick _never_ used "Chief Bogo" when referring to the bull. Today was _not_ going to to be good.

"Alright," Bogo said. He gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk. "Have a seat."

Nick climbed into the chair that was clearly built for larger animals. Nick did not say anything at first; he kept his eyes downcast, seemingly still deciding whether or not to go through with whatever it was he was about to go through with. Bogo remained silent, allowing Nick to make the first move.

Finally, with a sigh, Nick unpinned his badge from his uniform and placed it on the desk.

"Sir," Nick said softly. "I'm resigning from the force."

Bogo simply stared at the badge on his desk, an intense mixture of emotions churning in his mind. He was surprised that Nick would even _consider_ leaving the force. He was angry that Nick would leave during a case like _this_. He was disappointed to see that Nick didn't have any confidence in himself _or_ Judy. He was disheartened that he was about to lose one of his _best_ cops.

"And what, might I ask," Bogo said, keeping his face still as stone. "is your reason for leaving?"

Nick took in a deep, shaky breath. "With the threat of animals," Nick paused. "With the threat of _predators_ going savage again, I have decided to resign to keep my fellow officers safe."

"Alright," Bogo said, nodding. "So you're _sure_ that predators are the only ones who will be targeted with the new serum?"

Nick nodded. "Judy and I talked with Bellwether. An old friend of hers is carrying out what she started two years ago. That gives me enough reason to believe that predators will be going savage again, which is why I am resigning. Having a predator on the force is not safe for the other officers," he added.

That was his _first_ mistake.

Bogo leaned in. "So you think I should go about asking for the badges of all of the _other_ predators on the force?" he hissed.

Nick looked up, his eyes wide as he went defensive. "No! No, that's not what I -"

"'That's not what you meant,' Wilde?" Bogo said, his voice slowly rising. "So what _did_ you mean? Are you _truly_ afraid for your fellow officers' safety, -"

"Yes, I -"

"- Or are you afraid for _Judy's_ safety?"

That last sentence shut the fox up, silence falling fast between the two cops. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, both determined to get their way. It was only a matter of who had the wit and will to win.

"Yes," Nick said, his voice and gaze steely.

Bogo leaned back, his arms crossing again. "Have you talked with Officer Hopps about this?"

Nick thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, sir. She's completely fine with this," he lied. "We talked it over last night, and we both think that this is for the best."

That was his _second_ mistake.

Bogo saw straight through the lie. He knew that if they had talked about this, Judy would be here in the office as well. That, or Nick had been a _really_ good fox.

The chief sighed, rubbing the bridge of his snout. "Look, Wilde, I understand what you're feeling right now. It can be -"

"- With all due respect, sir, no," Nick interrupted, standing up in the chair. "No, you do _not_ understand what I am going through right now!" Nick's voice rose to a yell, bottled up emotions finally bursting free. He was _going_ to leave, even if it meant fighting a bull that was _much_ larger than him.

That was his _third_ mistake.

"I understand that you want me on the force, Chief," Nick continued, anger filling his eyes. His fur began to bristle, his snout scrunching up as he bared his teeth. "But that's _all_ you want! You don't know what I've been feeling ever since we visited Vivian in the hospital! You don't know what nightmares I have to look forward to at night! So, please, Chief, don't go throwing around the 'I understand,' line just to get me to stay. It won't wor-"

BANG!

Nick quickly shut his mouth, the sound nearly stopping his heart.

"I. Understand. Wilde." Bogo said, breathing heavily between each word. Silence fell upon the two cops again as Nick and Bogo stared at each other. Bogo was seething with anger; more so that Nick thought that no one besides Judy cared about him than the fox interrupting him. Nick was taken by surprise; he knew Bogo could get angry, but he had never seen the chief this _infuriated_.

Slowly, Bogo's expression softened. He leaned back in his seat, lifting his hoof from the desk. He had left a sizable dent in the desk from the impact of his hoof slamming down to shut the fox up; he'd have to get that fixed. Again.

"I understand, Wilde," Bogo said again, his voice softer. He turned his gaze away from the fox, memories flooding into his mind. Memories he had kept buried for a long time.

The bull struggled to come up with coherent words that could describe what he was about to explain to Nick, but they didn't come right away. Bogo started and stop multiple times, looking anywhere but where Nick stood.

Bogo stopped, sighed, and turned to the fox. "My wife and I worked on the force together _years_ ago, before I was chief," he began, his expression soft but determined. "Being the top-ranked officers in our division, we were tasked with taking down Al Capaw, one of the biggest crime bosses in Zootopia, second _only_ to Mr. Big. It was a somewhat simple undercover job. Eventually, we'd gain his trust and then bust him when he'd least expect it.

"Three weeks of _deep_ undercover work. Three weeks of exploring the _worst_ parts of Zootopia, indulging in the _worst_ practices. That's when I realized we had gotten in _way_ over our heads. Back then, I was pretty infamous among the low-lives of Zootopia; I was responsible for many of the arrests that had filled our prison cells to the brim. With that kind of reputation, I would eventually be recognized, blowing our covers. So, I went to the chief.

"I sat _exactly_ where you're sitting right now, my badge on this _very_ desk. I had hoped that if I resigned, My darling Abby would maybe resign with me, even though I hadn't talked it over with her. We could live out normal lives, maybe even raise a family. We wouldn't have to watch our backs, we wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open, and we wouldn't have to carry a gun with us at all times.

"The chief saw straight through my 'professionally rational' bull crap and knew that I only cared for my wife's safety. And you know what he said to me?"

Bogo leaned forward, his expression darkening. At this moment, Bogo felt like he had just slipped into the head of the previous chief, realizing _exactly_ why _he_ had been told this years before. Now, it was Nick's turn.

Speaking in almost a whisper, Bogo repeated - word for word - the one sentence that changed his life as a cop forever.

"Let it go."

Bogo remained silent for a moment, allowing those words to sink in. Nick's face revealed nothing, but the chief had a feeling that _something_ had gotten through. Now it was time to bring him home.

"She can take care of herself. She wouldn't be on the force if she hadn't _earned_ it," Bogo said, his voice firm. He was as much in the moment as he was in his memories. The words he was now speaking had been spoken by the chief that had inspired Bogo. "That wife of yours is brave, smart, and can take on any animal, no matter their size.

"But more importantly, she _needs_ you. You're her _better_ half. Her shoulder to lean on, her comfort when she's afraid. If you were to leave now, behind her back, you wouldn't be saving her. You'd be _hurting_ her."

Bogo again fell silent, leaning back in his chair. He could see Nick's eyes misting, relieved that his words weren't falling on deaf ears. Bogo remembered how these words had affected him; he had been determined to leave, no matter what anyone else said. Then came along the chief, who had virtually smacked the bull in the face with a heavy dose of common sense. Bogo only hoped that Nick had been smacked as hard.

"I stayed on the force after that talk," Bogo continued. "A week later we busted Capaw, our covers fully intact until the very end. The feared crime boss rotted away in jail; if it weren't for the chief, I would've left, and Capaw would still be at large.

"So let me ask again, Wilde," Bogo said, his expression soft. "What is your reason for leaving?"

Silence fell upon the two cops. Nick sat back down in the chair, his eyes downcast. Bogo saw an entirely different fox from the one who had walked in only moments ago. This Nick was _very_ unsure of himself, but his confidence in himself and in Judy had been restored.

Slowly, Nick reached for his badge, pinning it back on to his uniform. "I don't have a reason, sir," the fox said, looking up at the bull. Bogo smiled as he saw the light return to the fox's eyes. Nick hopped down from the chair and made his way to the door.

"Officer Wilde?" Bogo said, getting up from his desk. Nick turned, his paw on the doorknob.

"Yes, sir?" Nick asked.

Bogo knelt down, placing a hoof on Nick's shoulder. "You and Offi – Judy have been two of the _best_ cops I've known on the force," he said, inwardly cursing himself as tears threatened to escape; he was usually better at keeping his emotions in check. "You two have something I don't give many animals: my utmost respect."

Nick smiled, his eyes growing misty as well. These two cops, known for their emotional rigidity, were glad that no one else was there to witness this moment. Nick especially as he jumped up and gave Bogo a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you," Nick said, vainly fighting tears.

"Thank _you_ , Nick," Bogo said, his voice strained as if he were fighting tears as well. "Now, do you think you could loosen your grip? _I can't breathe_ ,"

"Sorry," Nick said, sheepishly grinning as he hopped off of Bogo, who was smiling as well.

Standing back up, Bogo returned to the desk to retrieve the files. "Let Judy know that you two are dismissed from this morning's briefing. As I understand it, you two have a few leads to follow?"

Nick nodded. "Understood, sir," he said, opening the door. He was halfway out of the office when he remembered something.

"Chief?" the fox asked, returning to the office.

"Yes, Wilde?" Bogo asked, having already gathered his things.

"If you don't mind me asking, where is your wife now?"

A sad smile grew on the bull's face as he set the files down and leaned against the desk. "Sometime later, we were jumped by a Capaw sympathizer," Bogo sighed. "I'll never forget what she did for me.

"What did she do?"

"She took a bullet to the heart, Wilde. A bullet meant for me."

* * *

Judy stood on the large chair, trying not to look too concerned. Nick wasn't in the briefing room, and Bogo was late. Did something happen?

Her eyes widened as an idea formed in her mind. Was Nick in trouble? Was _that_ why he was acting so weird? Judy almost kicked herself for not thinking of something as simple as that; getting in trouble with Bogo would put _any_ animal in a funk.

Judy had just begun racking her brain for what Nick could have done when a "Psst," behind her drew her attention.

"Nick?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. Never before had she had _such_ mixed feelings about seeing her husband; she was happy to see him, but he _shouldn't_ leave her alone without telling her beforehand.

"Carrots, come on," Nick urged, gesturing towards himself. Judy hopped down from the chair and followed Nick out into the main lobby.

Once they were well past earshot of the briefing room, Judy punched Nick in the gut. "Where _were_ you!?" she asked, enraged. "I was worried _sick_ about you! You don't just leave someone alone like that!" she gave Nick a hard stare and tapped her foot at lightning speed as Nick recovered from the punch. Nick knelt down to eye level with Judy, saying nothing. Judy's stare faltered slightly and her foot slowly stopped tapping, the look in Nick's eyes dousing her rage.

The anger on Judy's face melted into a hurt look. "Why?" she said, vainly fighting tears. So many different emotions had been mixing around inside of, bubbling up, and eating away at her; the continued stress of the case did not help.

"I. . ." Nick began, searching for the right words. There were so many things he wanted to tell her: the nightmares, how afraid he is for her, how he doesn't trust himself around her with Hunter lurking in Zootopia. Instead, Nick decided to keep it simple; there would be time to explain later.

"I just had a talk with Bogo," the fox said. "I had some questions that needed answering, and Bogo seemed like the guy to ask. Wouldn't you know it, he helped me out a lot. Plus," Nick said, a sly smile creeping over his muzzle. "We don't have to stay for the briefing. Now we can check out those security tapes and _finally_ see who this Hunter is!"

Judy stood there, looking her fox over. How different he was from the Nick of this morning. Whatever he and Bogo had talked about, it had done wonders. Judy considered asking Bogo about that later; she may need it for Nick if Bogo's not around.

Nick simply watched his bunny, noticing how her nose twitched when she was deep in thought. He knew his actions this morning had given her every reason to be concerned, but he promised himself he would make it up to her.

Judy shook herself from her thoughts and smiled up at Nick. "Nick, that's wonderful!" she said, a bright smile on her face as she hugged Nick. The feeling of his arms wrapping around her relieved much of the stress that had been building up from the events of the past few days. Nick felt this relief too, and for a moment, the two of them were _truly_ happy again.

"Alright," Nick said, suddenly releasing the bunny from his grasp. "We have work to do, come on!" The fox began walking to Judy's "office."

Judy stood still for a moment, slightly surprised with the sudden end of their hug. "Wait for me, Nick!" she called, shaking herself back to reality and running to catch up.

* * *

The video quality was not the best; Nick and Judy could barely make out key details in Bellwether's face as she faced the tall figure on the screen. The only light came from the sheep's cell, so the figure was still in shadow.

"Come on out, fella. Let us see who you are," Judy mumbled, scrolling through the video. "There you are."

The figure had finally stepped into the light, but his face was still opposite the camera. Judy, though, knew who it was.

"What!?" she practically yelled, startling the fox who was sitting very close to her.

"What's what?" Nick asked, still recovering from the shock of her sudden outburst.

Everything was familiar: the height, the white fur, the confident posture. "That's Mr. Hunt!" she said. "That's the snow leopard I raced the other day!"

"You're sure?" Nick asked. If Mr. Hunt was who they were looking for, then they'd have the _biggest_ lead in the case yet!

"Positive," Judy said, turning back to the video. The tall figure was now leaving frame as Bellwether returned to her chair. Even the way the leopard walked was familiar.

"Great," Nick said, getting up. "Now all we have to do is search for his information in Archives – "

"No need," Judy said, rushing past him. "I already know where we'll find him!"

Nick was both surprised and proud of his partner. "Really?"

She was already in the main lobby; she was practically yelling at Nick by this point. "Yeah, he owns a flower shop! You know, the place where we met Ron?"

Grinning slyly, he jogged to catch up with Judy. "Yeah, I remember Carrots!" Not only did they have a lead, they now had a _location_!

"Come on, Nick, you sloth!" Judy called from the other side of the lobby. "We've got a search warrant to pick up!"

* * *

Despite the sun shining brightly outside, the tainted windows of the shop cast an eerie indigo light on the fox and bunny. The few flower displays stood ominously, their normally beautiful designs now foreboding.

Nick and Judy were only here to search the shop; they'd arrest Mr. Hunt if they found _anything_ that could prove that he was behind the robberies and Vivian's attack.

"Stay close to me, Carrots," Nick said, his eyes carefully analyzing the shop. He took occasional whiffs of the air, hoping to catch the scent of anything _off_.

Judy walked a little closer to Nick, every muscle in her body wound to their limits. She'd be ready to attack – or run – when needed. Her amethyst eyes scoured the empty space; except for the desk and the displays, there wasn't really anything else in this shop.

The two cops slowly made their way to the front desk, a golden bell sitting on top. Nick rang it three times. "Hello?" he asked as the chimes echoed softly. "Anyone here? We just want to ask a few questio – "

A secret door opened to their right, surprising the fox and bunny. The blue light that emitted from the doorway was slightly brighter than the indigo of the shop, but it held a stronger air of eeriness.

Slowly, as if drawn in by some ethereal force, Nick and Judy walked towards the door. They flanked either side, glancing down into the corridor.

"I'll go first," Nick said, glancing at Judy. "When I give the all-clear, you follow. Got it?"

Judy nodded, stepping away from the doorway as Nick entered. He had walked only a few steps when the door suddenly closed behind him, separating the fox and bunny.

* * *

It was surprisingly dark. Luckily for Nick, his night vision made his surroundings visible for him.

"Nick!" Judy's cried, pounding on the wall. She was so distraught she forgot that the bell opened the door. She also didn't hear the figure walk up behind her.

"Judy, it's alright!" he called to her. He heard the pounding stop. "I'm going to go on. Call for backup and stay there till they come, got it?"

"A-alright, Nick," Judy said, sounding doubtful. She was oblivious to the figure as he raised his paw, his blue eyes filled with cruel cunning. He wasn't going to let her make that call. . .

Nick chuckled softly. "Don't worry! I'll be back before you know it!" The fox walked on, the darkness only growing around him.

After a moment, he came into an open space filled with what seemed to be multiple screens and monitors.

"Well, well, well," a voice said to his right. "Looks like Nick Wilde fell for the oldest hustle in the book!"

WHACK!

Everything went black for the bunny and fox.

 


	9. Tension Rising

It was all a blur.

Lights flickered across the ceiling, the room jostling the two cops around.

They faded in and out of consciousness, unable to make out their surroundings. The smell of gasoline hung in the air, almost making them sick as the room kept moving.

Their muscles felt like Jell-O, weak and unable to support any weight. Their paws were bound tightly; any movement was rewarded with the sharp sting of pain in their wrists.

Sounds lingered just outside of comprehension, as if two animals were having a conversation close by. The room jerked violently, tossing them around into the walls and seats. More pain screamed through their sore bodies, draining any remaining strength.

Slowly, everything faded away.

* * *

_"Mr. Wilde?" the doctor – a sheep – asked, scouring the waiting room for his next patient. He was slightly surprised to see a fox – dressed in khakis, a tropical button-up T-shirt, and a loose tie – stand up; it was rare for a predator to visit this hospital._

_Nick followed the small sheep past the door and down the hall. The fox never really liked hospitals,_ especially _as a kid. There was very little you could hide while at the doctor's, and Nick liked his privacy._

_"Alright, Mr. Wilde, if you'll sit down on the bed," the doctor said upon entering the room. Wilde did as he was told, feeling like a nervous child. The sheep sat on one of the stools, glancing over his clipboard._

_"So, you're here to get a Night Howler vaccination, correct?"_

_Nick nodded. "Yes sir," he said simply._

_"Well, we prey appreciate it," the sheep said, putting on a pair of latex gloves. "You'll be one less predator we have to worry about."_

_Nick knew the doctor didn't mean any harm with his words, but they still grated on the fox. Bellwether had definitely left a permanent mark on Zootopia; a scar that would never fully heal._

_The doctor retrieved a syringe from one of the drawers and then proceeded to a cabinet on the far side of the wall. It had two heavy-duty locks, each nigh-impossible to crack. "As you can see," the doctor was saying as he input the combinations and keys. "We spared no expense on keeping the Night Howler vaccinations safe from the wrongs hooves – or paws."_

_The doctor took out a small vial filled with a blue liquid. Nick eyed it suspiciously, which the doctor noticed. "Oh, don't worry," he laughed, dipping the tip of the syringe inside the liquid. "This isn't the Night Howler formula! I wouldn't want a savage fox ripping up my patients now, do I?"_

_Nick felt sick as he pictured that scenario. His stomach lurched, the images in his head startlingly clear. Just the thought of him going savage, along with the stress of going to the doctor's office, was enough to almost make him vomit. Why did he let himself talk himself into doing this?_

_He wanted to leave. He wanted to lock himself in his apartment. He wanted to keep his best friend safe from_ himself _._

_He was about to get up when he noticed one of the nurses – a stunning antelope – walking by the door. The small window gave him a perfect view of her earrings: wonderful little amethysts, sparkling despite the artificial light. Suddenly, Nick's courage came flooding back, pushing away all doubt from his mind._

Judy wouldn't back down _, he thought. He turned back to the doctor, ready to take the shot. He was surprised to see the sheep putting the syringe and the vaccination back in their proper places._

_"Alright, Mr. Wilde," he was saying, a smile on his face. "You're all done!"_

_Nick simply stared, dumbfounded that he had barely felt a thing. Shrugging to himself, the fox thanked the doctor for his time and walked out into the hallway._

_He could finally feel one hundred percent confident in himself around his best friend._

* * *

Incoherent shapes moved just past Nick's eyelids, drawing his attention. His head throbbed, his muscles ached, and his body refused to move. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Almost immediately, Nick was met with a blinding light, causing him to turn his head away.

He tried to bring his arms up to block the light and was confused as to why they refused to cooperate. Glancing down, Nick saw that all four paws were strapped down to a stretcher that was tilted at an angle. He continued to look around; as he analyzed his surroundings, he found that white was the dominant color of the space. His eyes focusing more, Nick realized that he seemed to be in the back of a large van filled with all sorts of medical supplies and devices. Looking forward, Nick saw that the back doors to the van were open, revealing a large forest under a starry night.

"Finally awake now, are we?" a voice asked to Nick's left.

Painfully, Nick turned his head towards the source of the voice; unfortunately, he couldn't turn his head enough to even glimpse who had him tied up.

"Careful, now, or you'll hurt yourself," the voice sent chills down Nick's spine. His instincts began to kick in, telling him to get as far away as possible from the voice. He began to struggle against his restraints in panic. He stopped struggling, however, as the straps began to cut into his wrists.

"I said," the voice sounded closer, its tone dark. "you'll hurt yourself." The figure came into Nick's line of sight.

He was a snow leopard, his surprisingly white fur contrasting his pitch black spots. He was dressed in what seemed to be survival gear covered in a camouflage design. He had multiple pockets in his coat and pants, each filled with different tools. Strapped across his back was a large hunting rifle painted completely black. The weapon was about three feet in length, the barrel fourteen inches long.

The leopard reminded Nick of a hunter.

"Now that you've settled down," the leopard said, grinning cruelly. "are you comfortable, Nick?"

Nick analyzed the leopard in front of him, the pain in his head keeping him from thinking clearly. He tried to place where he had seen this animal before, but his mind refused to produce the memory.

"Where am I?" Nick asked, stalling until the pain cleared away.

"You, my friend, are in the back of a van," the figure replied. "The van is parked in a forest located on the outskirts of the city. Hardly _anyone_ knows this place exists," He smiled at Nick. "It's one of my favorite haunts."

"Why am I strapped up? What am I doing here?" Nick's head was beginning to clear, but he needed _just_ a little more time.

The leopard laughed, sending more chills down Nick's spine. There was no mirth in that laugh, nor was there joy; it was a cruel, cold laugh, meant to stop an animal's heart in fear.

"You're in no position to ask _me_ anything!" the leopard said. "In fact, _I_ should be interrogating _you_!" Nick jumped as the leopard suddenly moved startlingly close to his face.

Cold blue eyes analyzed Nick carefully, taking in every detail as if the fox was a book the leopard was determined to read. Nick tried to shrink from the leopard's stare, but all he could really do in his immobilized state was tense his body.

"How is it," the leopard began. "that a cunning fox such as yourself so _easily_ turned away from what you were _made_ to do? You should be conning animals, selling pawpsicles, and staying _far_ away from the authorities."

Scoffing, the leopard turned to a small table to Nick's left; on top were multiple syringes and surgical tools carefully organized.

"But no," the leopard continued, holding a syringe up to the artificial light to see how clean it was. "You fall prey to the charms of a country _bunny_. You turn your life around and begin _helping_ other animals," Hunter turned back to the fox, desperate for answers. "You gain no benefits, no gratuities, no _profits_ from your new line of work! Sure, you were judged by every animal you came by, but the opinions of others _really_ didn't matter, did they?" Hunter leaned in close to Nick again, his eyes searching for the answers he so longed for. " _Why_ , Nick? Why would this bunny seem like the logical choice?"

Nick simply stared at Hunter, confused. Why was this leopard asking _him_ these questions? Why did he _have_ to know how a predator and prey got along like they did? Why was he so _desperate_ to know why Nick had chosen Judy?

A name suddenly clicked in Nick's head: Hunter. Nick's eyes widened as the rest of the pieces began to fall into place.

Hunter wanted Nick to explain so that he could understand something he would _never_ fully comprehend. He was desperate for knowledge he'd never fully grasp. He longed for a rational explanation of an irrational phenomenon.

He wanted justification for what he was about to do to the two cops.

Nick took a deep breath, noticing the anticipation on Hunter's face. "Bellwether told Judy and me about you two," he said.

Silence hung in the air as if the whole world had stopped to listen to Hunter's reaction.

After a few moments, Hunter broke the silence with a simple, "And?"

"I know that you two tried to make your relationship work," Nick spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. "and I know that you two failed."

"And that's important?" Hunter asked, growing skeptical of the fox; was he just stalling for time?

Nick nodded. "You could have let that failure build you two together," he began, remembering the press conference two years ago. "Instead, you two let it grow into anger and jealousy."

"There was _no_ chance of being us being 'built together,' Nick!" Hunter said, his annoyance growing. "The reason Zootopia is _ripe_ with prejudice is because of the underlying instinct that separates predator and prey!"

Hunter turned away from Nick, deciding that the fox wouldn't give him the answers he wanted. "Bellwether and I were the only animals to understand how truly _unnatural_ Zootopia was. We came up with the Night Howler formula together, but we both had different ideas on how to use it. She liked the idea of projectiles; you wouldn't have to be close when the animal started going savage.

"I, on the other hand, prefer a more _personal_ approach." With practiced paws, Hunter filled a syringe with a blue, translucent liquid; it seemed to glow under the artificial light.

* * *

Judy was wide awake.

Her ears perked to the sounds of leaves crunching and the wind whistling through branches. She tried to open her eyes, but they were covered with some sort of cloth. Her paws were bound and her mouth was gagged. She swayed as her unknown kidnapper carried her through what she guessed to be a forest.

She tried to focus on the current situation, but her mind kept returning to her partner. Had he realized she was missing? Was the ZPD searching for her? Was Nick safe?

She was interrupted from her thoughts as she hit the ground with a thud. The air was knocked from her lungs; her gag only made it harder to breathe.

Judy's restraints were removed, blood rushing back to her numb paws. Her blindfold and gag were removed, too; Judy began breathing heavily to recover lost air. She turned towards her kidnapper and was surprised to see Ron standing above her.

He was smirking.

Judy had half a mind to jump and attack Ron then and there, to get back at him for taking her away from Nick; however, her body said, "No."

Ron squatted down to get a better look at the pathetic bunny lying before him. "How are you feeling, Officer Hopps?" the mocking tone in his voice grating on Judy's ears.

Judy opened her mouth to make a retort but closed it again as she winced, a wave of pain surging through her.

Ron smirked again. "I _tried_ to be as gentle as possible, Cottontail. It's hard to walk carefully in the forest, what with the roots and all,"

Judy shot the bobcat a look, but that was all she could do. Her strength was slowly recovering; she could soon beat the _crap_ out of this feline.

"Now, before I go, Hunter gave me a few instructions to give you," Ron said, standing back up. Judy didn't take her eyes off of him, listening intently.

"All you have to do, Flatfoot, is run. Run as fast as you can, as far away as you can. You and I both know that you can do that, right?"

Judy didn't understand. "Why am I running?" she asked, slowly picking herself up.

"To survive, of course!" Ron laughed. "Why else would you run? Why else were you _meant_ to run?"

The dark tone of the bobcat's voice was enough to make Judy stop. Everything slowly came together, the pieces of the puzzle finally fitting. Now, she understood.

Hunter wanted her to feel like _prey_ again. He wanted to remind her that she was just a bunny, incapable of being _anything_ important. He wanted her to realize how _insignificant_ she really was.

In his eyes, she was nothing more than a bunny _pretending_ to be something she wasn't meant to be.

* * *

"Where's Judy?" Nick asked, his thoughts turning to his partner. Had she realized he was missing? Was the ZPD searching for him? Was Judy safe?

"That, my friend, I do not know," Hunter said indifferently.

"Where. The _hell_. Is my wife!?" Nick snarled, struggling against his restraints; his desire to get to Judy overpowering the pain in his wrists.

Hunter considered the fox with disgust. "It's sickening, really. Such concern for a _bunny_ coming from a _fox_ ,"

Nick growled loudly, his teeth bared and fur bristling. "WHERE IS SHE!?"

Hunter smiled cruelly; he was winning. Nick's mixture of hate and _fear_ was giving Hunter the advantage he needed.

"She's out in the forest with Ron," the leopard replied, coming into Nick's line of sight. "I wouldn't want to make it _too_ easy for you,"

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked, his glare enough to stop any animal _other_ than Hunter in their tracks.

Hunter ripped off the right sleeve of Nick's uniform up past the elbow. "I'm talking about _this_ ," Hunter said, smiling as he held the syringe up for Nick to see.

Nick's eyes widened as his hatred dissipated. It was replaced with a pure, desperate panic.

Nick violently struggled against his restraints as the needle was inserted into his arm. Hunter deliberately took his time, relishing in Nick's panicked thrashing.

Slowly, the Night Howler serum was injected into the fox.

* * *

"So that's it?" Judy said, challenging Ron to say more. "Hunter's going to chase me through this forest and make me feel helpless?"

Ron laughed again. "You really are a _riot_ , Cottontail! _Hunter's_ not going to chase you!"

Judy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Then who is?"

Ron smirked. "I'm not telling."

He turned away from the little bunny, about to leave before he added, "Hunter _did_ want me to give you this," he tossed a small object into the air. "You may need it."

As Judy's attention turned to the object the bobcat had thrown, Ron left, not wanting to stay in the forest for much longer.

The small object rolled along the leaves, but there was not enough light to see exactly what it was. Judy felt around, the branches above blocking the light of the moon. Finally, her paw touched the small plastic object.

It felt familiar.

It was cylindrical in shape, with some sort of button at the top.

"What are you?" Judy asked aloud, more to hear the comfort of her own voice.

The wind shook the branches above, allowing the moon to shine on the little bunny. Her eyes widened as she realized what the object was, the surprise causing her to drop it as if it burned her paw. She backed away from the object, trying to shrink into the tree behind her.

Lying among the leaves, mere inches away from Judy, was a small, plastic can with the lid removed.

It was labeled "Fox Repellent."

 


	10. Chase

The bobcat walked through the forest, whistling to himself. The trees blocked off most of the light from the moon, making the forest floor too dark for most animals to see; Ron wasn't most animals.

He playfully hopped over the protruding roots, feeling like a kitten again. He smiled as memories started flooding his mind. Memories of his parents, memories of his friends. His smile grew sad; he had forgotten the great life he had lived.

Before Hunter.

His thoughts turned to two years ago when he was studying botany at UZ, the University of Zootopia. He had been a great student; he studied hard and was constantly rewarded because of it. In fact, he had gotten so advanced in his class that his professor had recommended that Ron study under a professional florist and botanist. His professor's recommendation was a snow leopard by the name of Alex Hunt.

The moment Ron had walked into "Domestically Exotic: Hunt's Flowers for Every Occasion!" he felt _uneasy_ , as if the very shop wasn't supposed to exist. But when Mr. Hunt had appeared from his office to greet him, Ron's doubts had been locked away.

Mr. Hunt had been, at first, very fun to be around; he always had some little game for Ron to test his intellect. Ron remembered the day he and Mr. Hunt had made the displays that now stood in the shop. Mr. Hunt had seemed like a completely different leopard then.

Soon after Ron had begun his apprenticeship with Mr. Hunt, animals began going savage. It had been all over the news: prey getting mauled by predators, huge riots of panicked animals, police trying to hold the crumbling city together. He had begun to feel nervous any time he walked through the streets, but Mr. Hunt had seemed unnaturally calm.

That was when he learned the truth behind Mr. Hunt.

He hadn't stumbled upon something he wasn't supposed to, he hadn't eavesdropped on some whispered conversation. Mr. Hunt himself had introduced the bobcat to his hidden laboratory. Ron had been stupefied at how _easy_ it was to unlock the hidden passageway: three rings of the bell on the desk.

"Ron," the leopard had said, his usual Cockney accent replaced with a sinister, more eloquent English accent. "I think it's about time I taught you about _Mendicampum Holicifius_."

Since then, Hunter had taught Ron everything there was to know about the Night Howlers. At first, Ron had been fascinated by these flowers. Their chemical composition, the effects the flower had on animals, their uses to farmers as a natural pesticide. Ron hadn't been able to stop thinking about how, if used correctly, _Mendicampum Holicifius_ could be used to gain a better understanding of animals _before_ the evolution.

But, when Hunter had revealed his serum to Ron, the flowers suddenly weren't so fascinating. Ron had discovered how Bellwether had used little pellets filled with the Night Howler serum to send animals in their savage frenzy; Hunter liked to inject the serum directly into the animal. Ron had been relieved that Hunter never experimented on other animals; at least, not while Ron was around.

A year had gone by. Bellwether was in jail, two cops were being praised for saving the city, and Hunter was planning his revenge. At this time, Ron had given up trying to understand the leopard and just played along. He donned his indifferent, rebel attitude and carried out some of Hunter's dirty work; scouting out targets while avoiding the authorities was a common task. At first, Ron obeyed to make sure Hunter didn't kill him – there were times Ron was _certain_ the leopard wanted to. But after a while, Ron had begun to enjoy the tasks to a certain extent, adding thrill-seeker to his fake identity.

Ron then remembered the time that Hunter had left for a week on some business. The bobcat hadn't been able to fight the temptation to try some Night Howler experiments he had been thinking about. He had spent most of the week trying different formulas with the _Mendicampum Holicifius_. He diluted the flowers' chemical compounds and added different chemicals to get different effects; anywhere from extreme bouts of lust to long episodes of hibernation.

Ever since the day Hunter returned from his business trip, the leopard had mixed feelings towards the bobcat. Hunter had been impressed with Ron's creativity; the bobcat had created dozens of different serums with simple chemicals and Night Howlers alone! On the other paw, Hunter had been pissed; his entire collection of full-grown _Mendicampum Holicifius_ was now gone, replaced with ultimately useless serums. That day, Ron had earned Hunter's respect as a colleague but had lost his trust as an apprentice.

For the next few months, Hunter and Ron had worked to make up for the lost Night Howlers. To keep the authorities off of their tails, they had stolen _Mendicampum Holicifiu_ s seeds; if they stole the flowers outright, the city would grow suspicious and be prepared well before the first animal went savage. They had also destroyed any file, label, or display case that carried the words "Night Howler" on them, allowing the two predators more time before the authorities caught on to their plans.

Both Ron and Hunter had been aware of one flaw in their plan, however: the Night Howlers needed time to grow. Hunter had worked tirelessly, concocting different growth hormones that would shorten the wait. Eventually, Ron had been the one robbing the stores while Hunter had stayed in his lab. The leopard would rarely come out, even to eat. Being away from Hunter had loosened the hold he had on Ron, giving the bobcat time to really think about the current situation.

As Hunter came closer to his goals, Ron had decided it was time for the leopard to stop. Animals would get severely hurt, _including_ himself. He had begun to confront Hunter, but each conversation had ended the same way: Hunter declaring that he would have his revenge. Eventually, Ron had given up and decided to let the police handle Hunter. But first, they would need to be tipped off.

Hunter had tasked Ron with injecting the new serum into a vixen by the name of Vivian Rose. This had given Ron the perfect opportunity to give the police something to work with. Instead of injecting the serum into the vixen, which would have given the forensics team the extra task of distinguishing between blood and serum, Ron had broken the syringe and doused Vivian with the deadly contents. His reward was a news report the next day revealing that the doctors had discovered a Night Howler serum on the savage vixen; the police were now on the case.

Ron smirked to himself. Hunter would finally be put in prison, and he could finally go about living a normal life; he could study botany again, he could hang out with his old friends again, he could see his parents again.

The bobcat was so excited about his future endeavors that he failed to notice the savage fox running straight for him.

* * *

The uniformed fox pounced on the unsuspecting bobcat, a hungry snarl in its throat. The feline gave a shocked yelp, his eyes wide with fear as he focused on the fox. The orange predator growled, the sound loud and guttural. Saliva fell from its maw, landing on the bobcat's fur as the fox inched its muzzle closer.

Suddenly, the wind blew through the trees, hitting the fox full in the face. It carried the scent the fox had been following; such a delicious scent that made the fox's stomach growl. The small predator lifted its head, sniffing the air to pinpoint the scent. The wind blew more of the scent into the fox's snout, giving an exact direction.

Completely ignoring the frightened bobcat, the fox took off deeper into the forest, fallen leaves crunching under its paws. The wind whipped through the fox's ears as the predator ran through the forest, effectively cooling it off. The fox had only one thing on its mind: the source of the scent. As it ran, saliva flicked from its muzzle and its growling grew louder. Adrenaline coursed through the fox's veins, fueling its energy and hunger.

The branches moved in the wind, the light that filtered through dancing on the forest floor. The fox paid no attention to them, its eyes focusing on any roots that tried to trip it. As the fox went on, the scent grew stronger. The fox maneuvered through the trees, turning when the scent turned. The wonderful smell seemed to call to the fox, drawing it closer.

The more the fox ran, the stronger the pain in its stomach became; this only succeeded in fueling the fox to get to the source of the scent faster. Picking up its pace, the fox began to trip on small roots and foliage. After a few falls, the fox and its odd coverings were coated with dirt and leaves.

Finally, the fox came to a clearing. The canopy of leaves filtered little light on the small area, but the fox's night vision clearly revealed the source of the scent.

A bunny.

The fox growled, too hungry to care about stealth. If the fox was lucky, the bunny would be too frightened to run. Said bunny had now become aware of the fox, her eyes turning towards it. There was something _strange_ about her eyes, but the fox did not care; it needed to satiate its hunger.

The bunny made an odd sound, her voice tickling the fox's ears. If it wasn't so hungry, the fox would've wanted to stop and continue listening to her noises. Slowly, the bunny backed away from the fox, an object in her paw. The fox ignored it; the object was of no consequence yet.

The bunny made the sound again, the pitch slightly higher; it was similar to a whimper. The fox stalked closer, its teeth bared and a low growl emitting from its throat. The bunny glanced at the object in its paw, seemingly considering whether or not to use it. The fox glanced at the object, and then back at the bunny. The mammal noticed, a hurt look in her eyes. Hesitantly, she threw the object into the forest; the fox paused to watch it fly through the air and then turned back to the bunny.

Again, the bunny made the sound, but it sounded sharper, as if she were trying to communicate with the fox. The fox simply ignored her, stepping closer to his prey. Saliva continued to drool from the fox's maw as the thought of satisfying its agonizing hunger controlled its movement. Suddenly and without warning, the fox pounced on the bunny with frightening speed.

* * *

Judy saw the attack coming from a mile away.

She quickly rolled to her right, using the momentum to get to her feet. Now that she had thrown away the Fox Repellent, she had little defense against the savage fox. She quickly bolted into the forest, leaving the surprised predator behind.

She didn't want to hurt the fox, but the fox wanted to hurt her. This was a problem. As she ran, Judy tried to think of _any_ way she could bring the fox to its senses. She gasped as a root caught her foot, bringing her to the ground. With fear-induced reflexes, she caught herself and cartwheeled over the roots, landing as if she had taken gymnastics all her life. Taking a quick moment to congratulate herself, Judy continued through the trees.

Her ears perked to the sound of a loud snarl behind her; the fox was getting close. She ducked to her right, rolling to catch the momentum of the sudden turn. Using her powerful legs, she leaped forward from the roll, putting more distance between her and the fox. She landed roughly as small foliage caught her off-balance. Judy ran forward, waving her arms to keep her balance in hopes to not fall on her face. Unfortunately, a particularly nasty root decided to stand in her way, sending her to the ground with a soft thud.

Wiping the dirt and leaves from her face, Judy glanced behind her for any sign of the fox. An orange and navy streak zoomed past the tree Judy had turned at, giving the bunny reason to smirk at her victory. The smirk quickly evaporated, however, as the fox immediately turned back around and began chasing her again. Picking herself up, Judy ran. She kept on running, occasionally tripping on roots and foliage.

Her heart was pounding from both physical exhaustion and emotional trauma. Her lungs screamed for respite, her muscles began to burn. Her heart ached for the fox, her mind tried to comprehend the situation.

Judy slid under a fallen tree, her paw holding her weight. As she cleared the tree, she turned and jumped to the right. She knew she couldn't outrun the fox on two legs, so she continued on four.

The wind whipped through her ears, but she didn't relish the feeling. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she didn't enjoy it. Her muscles screamed at her, and she wanted to stop. Judy feared very little; she always knew she could outrun anything or anyone who tried to stop her. But this time, she was truly _terrified_. Never before had anything _kept_ chasing her, no matter how far behind it was. And it would never stop.

Judy's breathing became erratic and short, but the growl that resonated behind her didn't falter. Judy clumsily hopped over large roots and foliage that crossed her path, leaves crunching under her paws as she ran. She dared not glance back for fear of missing a root or protrusion in the ground that would end the chase.

The light from the moon danced on the ground as the branches above swayed in the wind, playing tricks on Judy. She jumped much too soon, thinking that a large root was closer that it actually was. Her knee hit the wood, a wave of pain surging through the bunny as she cried out. She hit the ground violently, rolling in the leaves and dirt before coming to a stop.

She heard the snarl and knew it was too late. The fox had caught her.

* * *

Hunter's ears perked as he heard Judy's cry. She was surprisingly close, but it didn't change anything; he would easily find them no matter how far into the forest they were. He loaded his weapon, relishing the rush of excitement coursing through his body. He always loved the thrill of the hunt.

"HUNTER!"

The leopard stepped out of the van, his eyes scanning for the bobcat. He finally saw Ron and noticed the dark look in his hazel eyes.

"I thought you said you were going to wait to release him!" Ron complained, pointing an accusing finger at the leopard. "He nearly _killed_ me!"

Hunter rolled his eyes, uninterested in this conversation. "You never gave me a _specific_ amount of time to wait," Hunter said dismissively. "And he _didn't_ kill you now, did he?"

Ron scoffed. "Only because he caught Judy's scent!" His fake identity came crashing down; Ron had tolerated enough of Hunter's games. "This _needs_ to stop now, Hunter!"

"We've been over this, Ron," Hunter said as he began brandishing a large Bowie knife. "Not when I'm _so_ close! Those two cops will tear each other apart, revealing to the world that relationships between predator and prey can _never_ last!"

Ron's eyes flicked to the large knife in Hunter's paws. Realization dawned on the bobcat, and he felt every muscle tense as his mind tried to decide between the fight or flight response. “Y-you're crazy!” he stuttered as he took a few steps back, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from the snow leopard as possible.

The look in Hunter's eyes sent chills down Ron's spine, as if the larger feline was daring the bobcat to run. “No, Ron,” Hunter contended, his voice low, “I'm not crazy. It's this city that's crazy! They believe that predator and prey can truly live in harmony; that they can do more than just coexist. So I'm taking it upon myself to reveal the truth.”

Ron shook his head as his paw snuck into the pocket of his jeans. He still continued to back away, his pace steadily increasing. “Yeah, well, you have fun with all that.” _In the meantime, I'm gonna get the police here to stop this madness,_ he thought. The bobcat turned on his heel and booked it for the forest, making sure to duck behind trees and bushes to throw Hunter off.

The snow leopard smiled cruelly as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. He pocketed the knife and retrieved his hunting rifle. Everything about the gun felt natural to Hunter; it was like an extension of his very being. Drawing a deep breath, the snow leopard caught Ron's scent among those of the forest. He also caught the sweet aroma of fear, and his grin widened.

 _She_ was scared, and it was drawing _him_ right to her.

Hunter pushed off of the van and began his silent trek into the forest. Ron would be his first target, as the bobcat was most likely going to call the police. Another rush of excitement sent a shudder down the leopard's spine as he planned out how he would kill his ex-assistant. Then, Hunter would be rewarded with the sight of a fox standing over the mangled corpse of a rabbit, just like nature had intended.

Oh, what a hunt this would be!

* * *

The fox stood above the bunny, its muzzle _so_ close to her neck; it could practically taste her! Saliva drooled from its maw, falling onto the bunny below. Fear filled the bunny's eyes and kept her from fleeing.

She made the noise again, but the fox ignored it; the predator's hunger was excruciating. The fox inhaled deeply through its snout, her scent nearly driving it wild. Slowly, the fox opened its maw, revealing sharp fangs glistening with saliva.

Suddenly, Nick attacked, his teeth closing around Judy's neck.

 


	11. Hunt

**"Love, it's not an emotion. Love is a promise. And he will never hurt her!"**

**\- The Doctor (Doctor Who, Series 8 Finale, "Death in Heaven")**

This must be what death felt like.

One moment of excruciating pain followed closely by a warm, fuzzy sensation.

In all of her life, Judy had never felt anything like this before. Her parents, her close friends, not even Nick could give her these feelings of comfort and bliss.

Judy lay with her eyes closed, allowing the sensations to pulse through her body. She giggled, the warm feelings beginning to tickle her, _especially_ in her right paw.

It felt warm. It felt relaxing. It felt...

Like a wet tongue?

Slowly, Judy opened her eyes. She was surprised to find that she was lying on the forest floor as the fox still stood above her, his torn police uniform caked with mud and dirt. His teeth weren't around her neck, however. He was playfully licking at her right paw.

Judy turned to see what could possibly have convinced the fox to lick her paw instead of rip her apart. She couldn't see anything with his muzzle in the way, however, so Judy gently moved her paw closer to her body; the fox followed the paw, seemingly determined to keep licking it. That's when Judy saw what had caught the predator's attention.

Her wedding ring.

Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She didn't understand it completely, but somehow the fox remembered her. She let out a short, relieved laugh, which caught the fox's attention. With curious eyes and an expression that Judy could only describe as cute, the predator gently sniffed at Judy's face as if to see if she was alright.

Judy giggled as his snout tickled her but immediately winced as pain stabbed at her neck. She brought up a paw and rubbed her neck. She paused as she realized the fur there was wet. A sickening feeling fell over Judy as she slowly removed her paw from her neck and brought it to her line of sight.

The white fur on her paw was stained red, glistening in the moonlight. Nick had bitten her.

The fox looked at her sadly, his tail between his legs and his ears folded back. Judy glanced from her paw to the fox, unsure of what to do. Slowly, the fox stepped forward and began licking her paw clean as Judy simply stared, debating whether or not to trust the fox. After he finished with her paw, the fox carefully licked the wounds on Judy's neck, stopping whenever she winced.

Judy sat dumbfounded at her fox's sudden change in attitude. Here he was, licking clean the wounds he had inflicted only moments earlier. Judy couldn't understand this, but at the moment, she didn't really want to. In a way, she had her fox back, and that's all that mattered to her right now. She smiled sadly as she began petting his neck, her energy slowly recovering.

* * *

Amethyst.

For some odd reason, there had been amethyst on the bunny's paw. The fox had stopped the moment the precious stone glinted in the moonlight; suddenly he hadn't been so hungry anymore. All he could think about was the amethyst and the onslaught of new feelings it brought.

The fox felt the need to _protect_ this bunny, no matter what. If she was hurt, he would make her better. If she ran, he would run with her. If she was scared, he would keep her safe. The feeling - no, the _instinct_ \- overruled all other thought processes, giving him one command: to _always_ protect his bunny.

The fox continued to lick her wounds clean, ignoring the savory taste of her blood; he dared not harm her again. When he finished, he stared happily at his bunny, hoping he had done alright. She smiled at him, her amethyst eyes practically glowing in the dark. His bunny then ripped off a strip from her coverings and wrapped it around her neck. The predator didn't understand this, but her wounds were now covered. Maybe it would help.

The wind blew through the forest, carrying a strange scent to the fox's snout. It smelled fake and foreign; it was like it didn't belong in the forest at all. The scent stung the back of his throat as a sickening feeling fell over the fox. He noticed that his bunny was now looking past him, terror in her eyes. Slowly, the fox turned towards the source of his bunny's fear.

A snow leopard in odd coverings stood before them, a large and deadly object in its paws.

* * *

Hunter stared at the two cops, dumbfounded. He had expected to find Nick feasting on Judy's mangled corpse, but instead, he found the fox _licking_ the bunny as if he were her _pet_! He couldn't comprehend it; had his serum not worked? Had it worn off?

Judy stared too, unwilling to make a movement for fear that Hunter would fire the large hunting rifle. She read his eyes and was surprised to find him completely and utterly confused. Judy was confused, too. Why _hadn't_ Nick killed her?

The past two years suddenly flashed through Judy's mind. She remembered how throughout their relationship, Nick had always been afraid of losing her. He constantly stood up for her when dealing with tougher criminals – although she was completely capable of taking care of herself – and he would always put her safety before anything else. At first, Judy thought it was a bit much; she wasn't just some token bunny and there were many times that Nick nearly compromised a case because of his concern for Judy. As their relationship went on, however, Judy realized that this was Nick's way of showing affection; something he hadn't done in years.

Judy remembered how Nick had spent ages in the library, reading up on ancient instincts. When she had asked him about it, Nick had brushed her off, looking embarrassed. That hadn't stopped Judy from finding a journal filled with different warnings and instinctive signals; Nick had been gathering data to recognize certain instincts that would be dangerous to Judy. She had also started noticing that anytime Nick was nervous, doubtful, or angry, one look into her eyes set him straight.

The final pieces of Nick's puzzle were coming together as an idea clicked in Judy's head; an idea that would _never_ come to Hunter.

Nick was still savage, but his instincts had changed.

All of Nick's worrying about hurting his best friend, all of Nick's doubting his own trustworthiness, all of Nick's loving his Judy had begun to seep into his very being, and amethyst was the catalyst. Slowly, his instincts had begun to evolve; he could hunt and he could burrow, but he would _never_ harm Judy again.

The fox stepped forward, putting himself between Judy and Hunter. He snarled loudly and bared his teeth, his fur bristling. Hunter pondered the fox. His serum had definitely worked, but for some damn reason this fox was _not_ going to hurt that bunny!

The leopard's head snapped towards Judy. "What happened?"

Judy smiled smugly, reveling in Hunter's seeming defeat. "My _husband_ was just making sure I was alright; I _did_ just fall, you know,"

"I don't _care_ about that, bunny!" Hunter growled, his mind slowly beginning to go blank with rage. "Why didn't he kill you?!"

"I'm afraid it's too complicated for you to understand, Hunter," Judy said. "But we _love_ each other."

Hunter spoke in a frustrated whisper, setting Judy's fur on end. "Predator and prey can _never_ love each other," he said. "It's not what nature intended."

"If our relationships weren't intended by nature, then why did we evolve in the first place?" Judy challenged. She knew she was getting under Hunter's skin, and she was ready to take full advantage of it. "Or are you saying that we shouldn't have embraced nature?"

Hunter scoffed, surprised at just how _dumb_ this bunny really was. "Evolution isn't embracing nature, you ignorant mammal!" Hunter roared, his teeth baring and his fur bristling. "Evolution is nature's way of distinguishing between the weak from the strong!"

Judy smiled smugly. "Then what does that make you?"

Silence hung in the air. Nothing dared make a sound, not even the constantly blowing wind. Hunter stood, dumbfounded; he hadn't expected a remark like that from a mere _bunny_. How dare she, mere _prey_ , make him look like a fool?! Slowly, his anger bubbled up inside of him, seeping into every fiber of his body. He chuckled darkly, a sinister grin creeping over his muzzle.

"It makes me _angry_ ," he said simply, his pupils contracting into slits.

Time slowed to a crawl. Judy saw Hunter lift his rifle, the barrel aimed directly at her heart. The fox growled, getting ready to strike the leopard. Judy knew she had to act, or she and her fox were in serious trouble. Judy rolled to the side, dodging the lethal bullet. She hooked her foot around the fox's leg, tripping the predator before he could attack Hunter and ultimately put himself in danger. She picked herself up, noticing Nick's confused stare. She said nothing, hoping the look in her eyes was enough to tell her fox to run. Hunter's angry cry caught Judy's attention, her head snapping up in time to see the leopard reload the rifle with frightening speed and direct the barrel at her chest again.

Judy jumped forward and ran, catching the leopard off guard. The fox followed his bunny closely, intent on keeping her in his sight. Hunter charged after them, pure hatred and adrenaline coursing through his body. He laughed maniacally, slowly devolving into savagery.

Bark exploded next to Judy's head, causing her to roll for cover. Nick skidded to a stop when he realized his bunny wasn't running by him. As he returned to Judy, he allowed his bunny to wrap her arms around his neck to pick herself up. Once she had regained her balance, Judy quickly dodged to the right, hoping to get out of Hunter's aim.

"RUN, BUNNY, RUN!" Hunter called, his voice cracked and unstable. He fired another round and missed by a foot. The explosion of bark was enough to startle the two cops, though.

The fox stayed very close to Judy, helping her when she stumbled on roots and foliage. His night vision allowed him to easily avoid anything that could trip him, but his bunny didn't have that special trait. Judy kept running, though, constantly glancing at her fox to get an idea of when to jump. For the most part, it worked, but her torn uniform was quickly covered with a thick layer of dirt, mud, and leaves. As they ran, Judy's neck began to sting under her crude bandages. She gritted her teeth as she tried to ignore the pain; if she stopped, she was dead.

Hunter kept firing, barely taking the time to properly aim. He wanted them to feel _pure_ fear, and he wanted to draw this hunt out as long as possible. Hunter's movements grew rushed and sloppy as he continued his deadly onslaught of bullets. Even his reloading, which had become an involuntary process, was losing its practiced refinement.

Two bullets flew through the air, whizzing past Judy's ears. She winced as sensitive nerves reacted to the close call, causing her to turn her attention away from the forest floor. A large root caught Judy's foot, her momentum twisting her ankle violently with a sickening crack. She screamed as she hit the ground, pain searing through her leg. The fox was by her side in an instant, his snout gently poking her body as he tried to find the source of her pain.

Judy clutched her broken leg, memories of when she and Nick had run from Bellwether at the History Museum flooding her mind. Just like then, her fox was not going to leave her behind.

Gently, Nick brought his head under her body. With careful shifts of weight and gentle prodding with his snout, the fox had Judy on his back. After her arms were locked tightly around his neck, the fox raced through the forest.

It was then that Judy realized that they had nowhere to go. She didn't know how far from the ZPD they were, she had no idea which direction led to the city. Hunter had them completely isolated; it was just a matter of time before he caught up to them.

A small tree was shot straight through, startling both the fox and bunny. Nick quickly darted the opposite direction as Judy barely hung on due to the sudden change in momentum. His instincts began to tell him that he was being herded, so he quickly turned around and ran back, throwing the leopard's aim off. The fox glanced over his shoulder, making sure his bunny was alright. She smiled down at him, but even in his savage state Nick knew it was not a real smile.

More bark flew into their faces, causing the fox to turn to his left. He stumbled on a small shrub, almost knocking Judy off of his back. His heightened reflexes, however, kept them both on their feet. The fox dashed between two trees, momentarily blocking Hunter's aim.

The fox and bunny covered many yards of forest, but Hunter kept them going in circles. Trees and bark exploded on impact, and soon both Nick and Judy had hundreds of little wooden bits in their fur, which now began to itch violently. Hunter knew he only had to keep this up for a little more time before they couldn't run anymore.

Hunter kept firing as Nick and Judy tried to get away. The fox's breathing became erratic and his reflexes became sloppy. He was growing tired, fast.

The leopard shot at them, missing by an inch. A nearby tree imploded, the bark flying into the fox's eyes. Nick rolled, accidentally throwing Judy off of his back. They fell into a nearby ditch, rolling through the dirt and foliage before coming to an abrupt stop at the bottom.

Judy slowly picked herself up, a dull throbbing in her head. She glanced over at her fox, who lay only a foot away from her. He wasn't moving.

"FINALLY! I beginning to think he would _never_ die! " Judy whipped around, horrified to find a disheveled and pissed snow leopard standing above them; his deranged smile could stop Chief Bogo in his tracks.

Judy quickly crawled over to Nick's body, both to check on her fox and to get away from Hunter. "Nick," she said desperately as she gently shook the fox, hoping that what Hunter had said wasn't true. He still didn't move. "Nick, get up!"

"I'm afraid Nick is gone," Hunter said; there was not an ounce of pity in his voice.

Judy turned to Hunter, tears stinging her eyes. "What did you do to him!?"

Hunter shrugged as he slowly walked down into the ditch. "Nothing. He just couldn't handle the dose of Night Howler serum I gave him."

Judy gasped and turned back to her fox. He still did not move; there was no steady rising and falling of his chest, there was no darting of his eyes under his closed eyelids. Tears began to flow freely from the bunny as the horrifying reality came crashing down.

"I _had_ hoped that he would've killed you by now," Hunter said as he cocked his large hunting rifle. "But I guess I'll have to do the dirty work myself."

Judy didn't move her eyes away from her husband. With Nick gone, there was nothing she could do; she couldn't run, she couldn't call for help, she couldn't fight back. For the first time in her life, Judy was truly _alone_.

And it scared her.

Hunter aimed his rifle straight at Judy's heart, his crazed smile glinting in the moonlight. His blue eyes, normally calm and collected, were now filled with a savage hatred. He would finally have his victory. He would finally kill Judy and show to the world that predator and prey can _never_ live in harmony. Zootopia would finally crack in two while prejudice-induced panic tore the citizens apart. His heart began to flutter as he imagined it; a _true_ animal utopia.

"Goodbye, Judy," Hunter said with a grim finality. Judy closed her eyes and rested her head on Nick as Hunter pulled the trigger.

Thunder sounded through the forest, followed by complete and utter silence.

The wind dared not speak, the leaves dared not move. It seemed that all eternity had stopped, completely focused on what was happening, in some ditch in the forest, between a snow leopard, a fox, and a bunny.

A myriad of intensely different emotions rushed through Hunter as his mind raced indefinitely, so many thoughts appearing for only a split second. His childhood, coming to Zootopia, meeting Bellwether in school, graduation, career, prejudice, heartbreak, jealousy, revenge. Hunter's stare became blank as his head overloaded with emotions and memories.

He felt nostalgic as he thought back to his happy childhood. He felt angry with the prejudice that tore predator and prey apart. He felt unsatisfied with the choices he made down the road to revenge. He felt regret for hurting the only animal that ever _truly_ cared about him.

A single tear fell from Hunter's cold blue eyes as he fell to the forest floor, a dark stain growing over his chest. His last breath, soft and apologetic, carried her name.

Bellwether.

 


	12. The Strongest Bonds

_Dark forest, bright lights, tall figures._

_Multiple voices, incoherent commands, leaves crunching._

_"Officer Hopps! Are you alright!?"_

_A familiar voice, no comfort._

_Dead fox, dead leopard, dead bunny._

_Large hoof, comforting touch._

_"It's alright, Judy, we're here."_

_Picked up, leaving fox._

They can't take him away from me.

_Struggling. Panicking. Desperate._

_"Judy, please calm down! It's okay; no one's going to hurt you!"_

_Lies._

_"Delgado, help me out here! Fangmire, call an ambulance; we have an officer down! McHorn, Grizzoli, secure the forest. Radio back if you find anything out of the ordinary!"_

_Paws and hooves restraining. Thrashing, panicking, desperation._

They won't take him away from me.

_Lashing out, biting, thrashing._

_"Judy, Nick's going to be fine! We just need to get him to a hospital."_

_It doesn't matter. Dead fox, dead leopard, dead bunny._

_"Fangmire, what's their ETA?"_

_"Just a few minutes, Chief!"_

_"Good! Help us calm Judy down; she's going to hurt herself!"_

_More paws, more restraining, more thrashing. Biting, kicking, fighting._

_Radio static, incoherent garbling._

_"Alright, grab as much as you can! The doctors could use it for the antidote. When you guys finish, meet us back here!"_

_"Judy, please, you don't have to fight! You're only hurting yourself!"_

_Lies._

_Tears falling, heart aching._

_Dead fox, dead bunny._

_Loud sirens, more figures, bright lights._

_"Hold her back!"_

_"She needs to get to the hospital, too!"_

_Fox leaving, more restraining._

_"NO! NO!"_

_"Judy, please, he's going to be fine!"_

_Lies._

_Panic. Thrashing, kicking, biting._

_Free._

_Running, crying, screaming._

_"NO, PLEASE, NO!"_

They can't have him.

_Neck hurting, throat growing raw. Bright lights, eyes not yet accustomed._

_"Please, hold her back! She is in no condition for this behavior!"_

_"Judy, calm down!"_

_Desperate. Running, tripping, falling._

_Restraining paws and hooves, comforting voices._

_"Everything's alright, Judy. Just calm down!"_

_More lies._

_"Officer, she needs medical attention as well, but we can't transport her under these conditions!"_

_"Judy, please, calm down! It's for your own good!"_

_Thrashing, panicking._

_Tears falling, energy leaving, heart sinking._

I won't leave him.

_Fighting back, biting and kicking, rolling away_

_Running, crying, stumbling._

_"Judy, please!"_

_Pain in shoulder. Conscience drifting._

_Comfortable leaves. Soft ground._

_"WHY DID YOU TRANQ HER!?"_

_"I'm sorry Chief Bogo, but we can't transport her unless she's calmed down!"_

_"YOU DO NOT TRANQ MY OFFICERS, DOCTOR! EVER!"_

_"I'm sorry, sir, but I had no choice!"_

_Eyelids growing heavy. Muscles weakening._

_"Judy, I'm sorry."_

_Defeat. Anger. Comfort._

_Sleep overcoming. Darkness welcoming._

_"We'll take her to the hospital from here, Chief."_

It doesn't matter.

_Dead bunny._

_Dead fox._

* * *

Two news anchors, a snow leopard and a moose, appeared on the screen. They spoke alternatively, beginning with the predator.

"About three days ago, Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were found in the forest outside of the city after having been missing for nearly a day. Chief Bogo has told us that the two cops had been on the case of an Alex Hunt, a leopard trying to replicate the Night Howler serum that terrorized the city two years ago. Said leopard had managed to kidnap the two officers and transport them across the city."

"The van that Hunt had used was found near the city limits by Officers McHorn and Grizzoli. They also found the body of a Ronald Baine, a bobcat who had worked under Hunt as an apprentice until he allegedly began helping the leopard with his crimes. The cause of death was a knife wound in the throat."

"The police had been tipped off to Officer Hopps and Wilde's whereabouts by a Zootopian local. He owns a naturalist 'oasis' of sorts, where animals can go for yoga and recreational activities. We managed to interview said individual and learned how he fit into this situation."

Yax appeared on the screen, the shot luckily only getting the upper half of his body.

"So yeah, I _always_ hang out here in the forest; it's such a great place to meditate. So I was taking my daily walk, taking in all the good vibes from the forest. The wind was blowing, the branches were swaying, the moon was shining. It was definitely a great time to meditate.

"So there I was, just breathing in the fresh air and having a good time. Suddenly, this fox and bunny rushed past me. They both had police uniforms on, but they were _really_ ripped up; the bunny even had some cloth around her neck. While they had hopefully seen better days, I thought that it was aaaaaall good, you know? Predator and prey living in harmony, having a good time in the forest. Heh, perhaps even a _real_ good time, you know? Anyways, I totally just let the two animals have their alone time, and I just kept walking. Then, a huge, scary snow leopard rushed past me, screaming and laughing like some crazy maniac.

"That's when I realized that maybe the fox and bunny were in trouble. I mean, this leopard had hunting gear _all_ over his body, and he was decked out in a really nice hunting clothes; the camouflage design was a little faded but other than that it was in a nice condition. He also had this really scary-looking hunting rifle; the shape was familiar, but it was painted black, so I couldn't be _really_ sure what brand it was.

"Anyway, I _always_ keep my phone with me when I go on these meditations. I never know when someone's suddenly discovered some really pro _found_ knowledge like a new outlook on life or a funny picture. So, I called the police and told them that a leopard was chasing a fox and a bunny and the police immediately started getting ready. It's like that fox and bunny were their best officers or something. I had to give them directions to the forest, though; not a lot of animals know about this forest, so I thought I'd help out a bit. Luckily, the police got here _really_ fast, and they totally took care of everything!"

The screen returned to the two news anchors. The moose began this time.

"Officer Nick Wilde was found in a catatonic state and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Officer Judy Hopps was also taken in for a broken leg and is quickly on her way to a full recovery. Chief Bogo has promised to give a full statement once the officers have fully recovered. Until then, stay tuned."

"In other news, small rumors of a new crime boss have begun floating around the streets of Zootopia. Allegedly, the leader of this new gang is named Victor Wil-"

"Officer Hopps?"

Judy turned the television off and turned to the door. The large bull stood at the door, his expression soft yet ecstatic. Judy's heart began to flutter as she predicted the possible good news about to leave the bull's lips.

A rare smile crept over Chief Bogo's muzzle. "He's awake."

Judy's heart nearly exploded with the flurry of ecstatic emotions that the bull's statement caused. She rolled out of her bed, finally realizing just how impatient she was with her broken leg; Judy nearly forgot her crutches as she hopped past Bogo. The bull simply watched his officer with an amused expression on her face, relieved to see her back to her usual self.

Bogo smiled as he watched the bunny hop to the end of the hallway. Judy looked left and right, trying to figure out which way to go. When she turned back to the water buffalo with a desperate expression on her face, Bogo said nothing. He did, however, turn left when he got to the end of the hallway. Judy rushed past Bogo, pausing at every door to see if her friend was inside.

Bogo took his time, relishing in seeing Judy so animated. He remembered how distraught she had been when they found her and Nick in the woods; she fought savagely to stay by Nick's side. The water buffalo sneered as he remembered the paramedics hitting Judy with the tranquilizer dart; she hadn't deserved that. Bogo pushed those thoughts aside as he continued down the hallway. Judy was far ahead of him, surprisingly mobile with her broken leg.

The water buffalo stopped at the elevator stationed halfway down the hallway and turned to Judy. His grin didn't falter as Judy, who was now at the end of the hall, took her time to notice that Bogo hadn't moved. Sheepishly grinning, the bunny hopped back to Bogo as he called the elevator.

The chief glanced down at Judy and chuckled to himself as he noticed she was impatiently tapping her good foot at lightning speeds. He could only imagine the pain she was feeling; she _needed_ to see him. Finally, after only a few moments, the elevator doors opened. Judy rushed inside, glaring impatiently at Bogo as he walked into the small room.

Once inside, Judy waited impatiently for Bogo to pick the floor. After pressing the button labeled "2," the elevator slowly began moving. The ride was excruciating for Judy, for it seemed that they had picked the slowest elevator in all of Zootopia; Bogo just grinned as he enjoyed the ride. Finally, the elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened slowly. Judy rushed outside, looking left and right. She turned left, stopping at every door again. Bogo turned right but made no move to correct the bunny. He walked down the hallway, the windows casting a soft, orange light on the corridor.

He came to a door that was slightly ajar and peeked through the window. The sight inside widened his smile. Bogo then turned, waiting for Judy to notice where he was. The bunny was paying him no attention. Having finished checking the doors along her chosen path, she was slowly making her way toward the water buffalo. Only when she was about three doors away did she finally notice the chief.

Judy's heart skipped a beat as she saw Bogo happily standing next to the door. Hope flooded her heart as she slowly walked towards the bull. Chief Bogo opened the door and stepped aside, allowing the bunny to go through first. As she entered, Bogo closed the door behind her; he'd let them have some time alone before he talked with them.

The room was cast in the same orange glow as the hallway, and the furnishings were very similar to Judy's room; a TV mantled to the wall, an extra chair for visitors, and a bed. As the bunny turned to the silhouette on the bed, her heart nearly stopped, the wave of happiness she felt almost too much to bare. There he was, the only mammal to whom her heart belonged.

"NICK!" she cried, tears freely streaming down her face. She awkwardly hopped towards the bed as she threw her crutches to the ground. She climbed to the top thanks to her good leg, and immediately wrapped her arms around her fox.

"Oh god, Nick!" she said. No other coherent words came to her, but she didn't mind; she had her Nick back. She smiled through her tears as his arms wrapped around her.

Judy lay in his arms, letting all of the stress flow from her with her tears. The weights on her shoulders lifted, her tense nerves relaxed. Within moments, she felt _truly_ happy again lying in Nick's arms.

Judy leaned back, her gaze meeting Nick's. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to ask. What she _didn't_ want, however, was to suddenly bombard her fox with hundreds of questions, so she began with a simple, "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell," Nick said simply, rubbing the bridge of his snout. "I do _not_ recommend Night Howler serum; it's just not worth the energy rush."

Judy giggled at his joke; she was happy to know that Nick was still himself. Nick smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Do you remember anything?" Judy asked hesitantly.

Nick closed his eyes in thought. "Ah, no, not really. After Hunter injected me, everything went fuzzy. I do remember amethyst for some reason," he added. Judy smiled, memories of her heroic fox flashing momentarily through her mind.

"It was awful, though," Nick continued, drawing Judy away from her thoughts. "I couldn't control myself, I couldn't think straight, I couldn't _do_ anything! I was so hungry that I was sure that I was dying of starvation. I was. . . afraid of hurting you."

"Nick, it's alright," Judy said, placing a paw on his arm. "We're both alright. Hunter's been stopped, and we don't have to worry about savage animals anymore."

"No, Judy," Nick said, his voice harsher than he wanted. "We _do_ have to worry about savage animals. You remember what Mr. Big said: we're still animals. For as long as we live, there is always the possibility of going savage," he paused as if he was debating whether or not to continue. "It's in our DNA."

Judy's heart skipped a beat as she remembered when she had accidentally used those words at the press conference two years ago; she couldn't believe _Nick_ was saying them now.

"That's not true," the bunny murmured, her heart slowly ripping in two.

"I'm sorry," Nick said harshly. "But look what I did to you!" Nick gestured at the bandages on Judy's neck. Judy's eyes widened with surprise as she brought a paw up to her neck to hide them. "Don't think I didn't notice those when you walked in, Judy. I hurt you, and who's to say I won't do it again? Anyone with half a mind and the right equipment can easily replicate Bellwether's formula and start another outbreak. It's just a matter of time before I'm hit again, and then what? Will you be as lucky that time?"

Tears flowed down Judy's face, her heart aching. She didn't want Nick to push her away, but there was nothing she could do; his words were hurting her as much as they hurt him. "Nick, it wasn't you!" Judy said, her voice barely a choked whisper.

"It _was_ me, Judy!" Nick growled, his emerald eyes filled with self-hatred. "It was _all_ me! All of that anger, all of that hunger? It's just buried deep inside of me. The serum just comes around and digs it back up! _I_ chased you! _I_ bit you! _I_ could have killed you!"

"But you didn't," Judy sobbed. It hurt her so much to hear Nick talking like this.

"That's because you got lucky!" Nick challenged. "You fought back; you did _something_ that kept me from killing you!" Nick sighed and turned his gaze towards the window. Judy sat there, sobbing quietly as every one of Nick's words stung her heart.

"I'm going to resign from the force."

Judy's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise and fear. "What?"

Nick nodded. "I'm quitting. I'm not going to put you in danger again, Judy."

"Nick, no," Judy said, but she could see the resolve in her fox's eyes. He had made up his mind.

"Hunter was right," Nick said, a rare sadness filling his eyes. "Predator and prey _can't_ live together. Not like this," Hesitantly, Nick placed a paw around his wedding ring and began to slip it off.

That was his _last_ mistake.

Judy's heart couldn't take it anymore. She was _not_ going to let Nick push her away; she was _not_ going to let Nick tear himself apart. Judy clenched her jaw, straightened her shoulders, and dried her tears.

SMACK!

"Ow!" Nick said, rubbing his cheek. "What the hell was that for!?"

"Nicholas P. Wilde!" Judy said, anger and hurt boiling inside of her. "Don't you _dare_ say that!"

Nick looked at the bunny with surprise and fear; he had never seen her this _angry_ before.

"You are _not_ just a savage animal waiting to be set loose! You are _not_ just a mindless killing machine with no heart! You are _not_ just a simple, sleazy conman who only cares about himself! You are my _husband_! I will not let you think otherwise, Nick."

All of Judy's pain, all of her anger now seeped into this speech; she needed to show Nick that he was _so_ much more than what he thought he was!

"Nick, when I met you two years ago, I had my suspicions. Sure they turned out to be true, but during the Night Howler case, you managed to surprise me. I saw someone who was hurt, but wouldn't let others hurt. I saw someone who, in a pinch, could be the most trustworthy friend a bunny could have. I saw _more_ than just a fox, Nick. I saw someone who cared," Judy paused, allowing the words to hopefully sink in. "Guess what? I care about you too, Nick. So I'm not about to let you tear yourself apart over this!"

Judy reached into her back pocket, retrieving a small object. "Look at this, Nick."

Nick glanced at her paw, not interested in playing along. "It's your badge," he said simply. "So?"

"Look closer."

Nick sighed but leaned in. It was just like his badge: gold with the words Trust, Integrity, and Bravery. Below the badge was the pin that held her name. There was nothing special about that, either. It simply read, "Judy Wilde."

Wait, what?.

Nick did a double-take. Expecting her maiden name, Nick couldn't describe how it felt to see the proof of his marriage with this bunny engraved for all to see.

"I had asked for the change the day after we got back from our honeymoon. I forgot about it during the case, though, so I never put the new pin on," Judy sighed. "I had hoped to surprise you differently, but I think this turned out better. I need you to see how much you mean to me."

Nick glanced from the pin to the bunny as an intense mixture of emotions churned in his mind. There were too many to count: guilt, pride, joy, dismay, anger, fear. All of it was directed at himself.

"Nick, I don't know what Bogo told you the other day," Judy said as she placed the badge and pin back in her pocket. "But I do know this: I am yours, and you are mine. Nothing is _ever_ going to change that," Judy took Nick's paw in hers. "So don't you _dare_ say that we can't love each other, Nicholas Wilde, don't you _dare_! I'm not going to let my best friend believe that lie."

Silence fell over the couple as tension hung in the air. Judy couldn't read what was going on in Nick's head, but she had the feeling that she had gotten through. A few more seconds passed, and Nick's face was still emotionless.

Finally, Nick leaned forward and placed his face in his paws, all of his self-hatred replaced with guilt. "I'm sorry, Judy," Nick said, the sudden change of emotions too much for him to bear. All of his life, Nick had hidden away his sensitive side, promising himself that he would _never_ let anyone see that they got to him. That all changed the moment Nick met Judy. Nick now sobbed openly, the only witness the one animal he _actually_ cared about.

Judy's heart lifted; she _had_ gotten through! Judy gently wrapped her arms around her fox and hugged him tightly. Nick made no move to return the hug, his body shaking with each sob. Judy said nothing, happy just to be there to comfort her partner in a time of desperate need.

Nick let go of everything. He let go of the promises that he had made to himself for Judy, and his stress was relieved. He let go of the self-hatred that tore him apart, and his self-esteem was mended. Nick let go of the voices that made him doubt, and he trusted himself again. He let go of the past that had hurt him so much, and he looked to the promising future.

It was pure freedom.

His heart now lifted, Nick wrapped his arms around his bunny and hugged her back. His body settled as his tears dried.

"Oh Judy," Nick said, his voice cracked from sobbing. "How could I have been so _stupid_?"

Judy smiled smugly. "Oh, there are _plenty_ of reasons," she said. "You want me to make a list?"

"Very funny, Carrots," Nick said; Judy had never been so happy to hear her nickname. "I'm still a little peeved about that slap, though."

Judy giggled. "Yeah. But you've got to admit, it was a _pretty_ good slap."

"Yeah, I guess it was," Nick said, nodding, "for a bunny."

Judy shoved her fox away with a scoff. "Maybe I should try again? I promise to hit harder!" She raised a paw to emphasize her point.

Nick brought his paws up in defense as he cowered away from his bunny. "That's not necessary, Carrots! Besides, you wouldn't hurt a poor, injured, defenseless animal like me would you?"

Placing her paws on her hips, Judy shot Nick a look that clearly told him that he was _not_ a "poor, injured, defenseless animal."

They kept this up for only a moment, however, for soon the two were doubled over in a fit of laughter.

"I guess that's my cue," Bogo said as he entered the room.

"Chief Bogo," Judy said as she and Nick turned towards the large water buffalo. "How long were you standing there?" she added, an embarrassed blush creeping over her cheeks. If he had heard their entire conversation. . .

"Long enough," Bogo simply said as he sat in the visitor's chair. "I'm proud of you two. And I also have good news."

Nick hugged Judy close as the two prepared themselves for what the chief was about to say.

Bogo cleared his throat. "First, you two will be out of here in less than a week; the doctors just need to run a few more tests on you, Nick. You know, you're lucky to be alive; the doctors said that without that vaccine you got, the amount of Night Howler serum in your system would've killed you in a heartbeat."

Nick's ears folded back as he imagined that scenario; Judy hugged him tighter.

"Also, we don't have to worry about Hunter or his formula anymore. The doctors created an antidote from his serum, and Vivian's already been treated."

"What happened to Hunter?" Judy asked, a vague memory of what happened after the leopard had her cornered flashing through her mind.

Bogo sighed. "I shot him. Not the smartest thing to do in a situation like that, but it got the job done. You've _no_ idea the amount of paperwork I had to do, though."

"What about Ron?" Nick asked, suddenly remembering the bobcat.

"Dead as well. We found his body out in the forest." The buffalo sighed. “Hunter didn't show an ounce of mercy; it was most likely a slow, painful death.”

A grim silence fell over the cops, which Bogo was quick to break. "On a happier note, because of your injuries, you don't have to file a report on the case; I'll take care of that myself."

Nick and Judy both lit up at the thought of no paperwork. "Thank you, chief!" Judy said; if she didn't have a broken leg, she would've hugged the water buffalo then and there.

Bogo raised a hoof to quiet them down. "Don't mention it. Just don't make this a habit, alright? I've got enough on my plate without worrying about my two best cops."

Nick and Judy nodded simultaneously. Bogo smiled and stood up from the chair. "Alright, I'll leave you two alone; you need your rest. I'm letting Clawhauser bring some breakfast down tomorrow, so be prepared."

As Bogo left the room, a happy silence fell over Nick and Judy.

Nick refused to loosen his grip on Judy, but the bunny didn't mind; there was nowhere else she wanted to be at the moment. As the sun began to set, the room was cast in a soft purple light.

Nick and Judy spent the rest of their day in bed, their arms wrapped around each other. They kissed often and nuzzled constantly. As the night drew on, the two animals fell into a peaceful slumber.

It was the best sleep they've had in weeks.

**This was the hardest chapter to write, with the most rewrites so far. But I love how it turned out, and it is one of my favorite chapters I've written for any of my projects. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!**

 

 


	13. Dinner Date

**_ Family Ties is out now! Go check it out if you want! _ **

**There are some hidden references to great authors and their stories throughout this chapter; try to find them all! Most of them are from ff.net, so you may not catch them. Also, thanks for getting this far! It means a lot to me that you guys would take the time to read and enjoy something that I did for fun and poured a lot of time and soul into. You guys are why I do this, and you guys are awesome!**

"We're here, Carrots," Nick said as they pulled into the parking lot of Snoutback Steakhouse. Being a Saturday night, the place was packed; Nick was lucky to find a parking spot as quickly as he did. Even though Snoutback was a chain restaurant, this establishment was one of the finer buildings. The outer walls were decorated with gray stones of different shapes and sizes placed into the wall at various depths. The canopy above the entrance was made from dark-colored wood coated red thanks to a large neon sign above.

Looking through the windows revealed that nearly every table was occupied as mammals of all species ate and conversed over delicious meals. The succulent aroma that wafted from the restaurant was enough to make any stomach grumble. Judy's stomach did just that as the two cops exited their convertible. The blush on her cheeks could be seen under her gray fur.

Nick chuckled. "I better get you inside before you starve to death, Carrots," he joked as he took her arm in his.

The fox and bunny walked to the entrance, the evening breeze gently nipping at their ears. Judy hugged herself closer to Nick, who certainly didn't mind the extra warmth. He took a moment to gaze at his wife again; she was wearing that gorgeous dress she had bought weeks earlier. The pink silk dress flowed gently with the breeze, and amethyst in her necklace glinted beautifully under the red neon light. The pink bow on her head accentuated her eyes beautifully; the entire dress was perfect. Nick smiled kindly at his bunny, still amazed by how _lucky_ he was to have such an incredible partner, friend, and wife.

Judy noticed that Nick was staring at her, and her blush grew deeper under his gaze. Her fox was dressed very sharply: black slacks and a tuxedo with a white undershirt. The black bow tie only added to his already highly-dapper look. Judy smiled up at her fox, amazed at how lucky _she_ was to have such an incredible partner, friend, and husband.

Nick and Judy entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted with a hunger-inducing barrage of aromas. It was Nick's stomach's turn to grumble, which received a chuckle from Judy.

"Hello. Welcome to Snoutback," greeted the hostess, a cougar with tan fur and a warm smile.

"We have a reservation," Nick said, stepping forward. "Nick Wilde?"

The cougar looked over the list of names in the reservation booklet. Her finger stopped near the bottom. "Here it is," she said, smiling. She retrieved two menus and turned back to the fox and bunny. "If you'll come with me."

As the cougar led them through the maze of animals and tables, Nick focused all of his attention on following the cougar and keeping his arm in Judy's; they could easily get lost among the dozens of patrons and waiters. After a few moments of walking through what could only be described as a jungle, the cougar finally brought Nick and Judy to their seat.

"A waiter will be with you shortly," the hostess said with a courtesy bow and a smile. As she left, Nick and Judy took their seats.

Their table was near one of the walls on the other side of the restaurant from the entrance. They could see almost all of the restaurant from their seats, and the window next to their table looked out over the large lake that surrounded the city. The bright lights of Tundra Town could be seen to the left, and the monorail bridge to the right. Under the starry sky, it was a breathtaking view.

"It's beautiful," Judy said, staring out past her reflection.

"Not as much as you," Nick said, smiling at his now-blushing bunny.

Nick gazed lovingly at Judy, a warm smile on his face. It was about time that they had a dinner date; when he had promised Judy about a week ago, Nick had no idea that their case would take up the whole day, and he certainly didn't know that Hunter would kidnap them. Now that they were both out of the hospital, Nick had finally gotten around to taking Judy to dinner.

"Hello, my name is Johnathan," said the waiter, a tall gazelle with short antlers. "I'll be your waiter for today. What can I get for you guys to drink?"

"Water," Nick and Judy answered. After scribbling their drinks into his little notepad, the waiter walked off.

Nick turned to Judy. "How's your leg doing, Carrots?"

"It's a little sore," she rotated her foot as she replied. "But it feels nice to be out of the cast. How are you feeling?"

Nick chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine, Carrots," he replied. "A little Night Howler serum isn't gonna stop me. Besides, _one_ of us needs to carry you around the apartment, what with you being handicapped and all."

He half-expected pain to erupt from his shoulder, but because they were sitting at opposite ends of the table, Judy couldn't reach Nick. It felt odd; he didn't normally get away with such a snarky comment.

So, instead of a punch to the shoulder, Judy retorted, "Har, har. You know, I've actually started to like being carried everywhere; I didn't have to do _anything_!"

Nick's smiled faltered as he remembered having to clean the apartment with Judy smugly watching while sitting on the couch. While Nick was happy to make Judy happy, the tedious tasks she had given him had begun to drive him mad.

Nick's thoughts were turned back to reality as John returned with the water. "Are we ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?"

Judy started as she realized she hadn't even looked at the menu. She hurriedly skimmed through the choices, trying to find _anything_ to her liking.

"I'll have the boiled crayfish dinner with a side salad," Nick began. " _She'll_ have the grilled carrot salad. Oh, and ranch dressing for both salads, please. "

The waiter nodded as he jotted down their orders. With a courtesy bow, the gazelle walked off again.

Nick smiled at Judy, whose gaze revealed that she was taken aback.

"Trust me, Carrots," he said, guessing the question in her mind. "You'll like it."

Judy returned Nick's smile; she trusted him. She turned her attention to the other patrons of the restaurant. It still surprised her that so many different animals could fit into one building. Nick and Judy's table was set across from two rows of tables and seats, each filled with various animals enjoying a delicious meal. The closest table on the rightmost row held three animals who were deep in conversation: a badger, a dark-furred wolf, and a fox. Or, was he a wolf? Judy couldn't quite tell. What she could tell, however, was that they were having quite the conversation about Sherlock Hound and his different cases.

"It's not nice to stare, Carrots," Nick teased. "C'mon, what are you thinking about?"

Judy started as she was brought back to reality. She turned her attention to her fox, who now had that sly grin on his face. "I was just getting sucked into a conversation about Sherlock Hound," she replied. "I thought that if I listened long enough, I could finally learn something on how to teach you to be a better cop; you _do_ need the practice, Mr. 'We're Now Separated, So I'll Go On Ahead While You Stay Behind And Call For Backup!'"

"Are you _ever_ gonna let me live that _one_ rookie mistake down?" Nick asked, chuckling in spite of himself.

"Nope," Judy said, a smug look on her face. "Never."

"I'll get you for that, Carrots," Nick said as they both began to laugh.

The smell of their meals reached their noses well before Johnathan arrived with their food. Judy's mouth started watering as she caught sight of the steaming carrots atop a bed of lettuce and assorted vegetables. She stole a glance at Nick's meal. The bowl was filled with boiled crayfish, with a garlic butter sauce drizzled atop. If Judy weren't a herbivore, she would have definitely asked Nick for a bit of crayfish.

"Here we are," the waiter said as he set the large tray on a small stand. "One boiled crayfish dinner with a side salad," he set the bowl filled with crayfish and salad in front of Nick. "And one grilled carrot salad," he set the large bowl of salad in front of Judy. "Here is your dressing, and if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask," after setting the small bottle of ranch dressing on the table, Johnathan walked off with the tray and stand.

After drizzling her meal with the ranch dressing, Judy hungrily dug into her salad. She was so involved with her food that she didn't notice Nick's surprise at the ferocity with which she ate her meal.

"It's a good thing that John got here when he did; I didn't realize you were about to starve, Carrots!" he said as he cut into a crayfish.

After a few more bites, Judy acknowledged his remark. "Well, you shouldn't have taken so long to get ready, Nick," was her reply, a small drop of dressing hanging from one of her whiskers.

Nick brought a paw up to his whiskers, the small flicking motion of his fingers telling Judy of the dressing. Her cheeks went scarlet as she hurriedly wiped her muzzle with a napkin.

"Are all bunnies so panicky about their appearances?" Nick teased, chuckling. "Or is it just you?"

He had to duck to avoid the piece of grilled carrot launched at him. "You're one to talk!" Judy retorted. "Like I said earlier, I don't spend an hour to get ready for a dinner date!"

Nick gave Judy a sly smile as he brushed his ears back in a dapper fashion. "It takes time to get _this_ good-looking, Carrots. Ah, but I guess you couldn't understand, being a _bunny_ and all."

He had to duck to avoid the spoon launched at him. Judy didn't retort as they were both too busy laughing.

After calming down, the two cops continued eating. Judy was very appreciative of Nick; this salad was delicious! The ranch dressing gave the tasteless lettuce a succulent flavor that complimented the savory carrots perfectly. This recipe was something that she would _definitely_ be trying in the future.

Nick rather enjoyed his boiled crayfish. The garlic butter sauce gave a wonderfully savory taste to the crustaceans, but Nick still preferred the way his mother would prepare crayfish for him when he was a kit: a dash of salt and pepper with warm butter drizzled over the top. He smiled to himself as he took a bite of the side salad; he'd have to get his mother to give Judy the recipe.

It was Nick's turn to study the restaurant. A few tables away in the left row sat a lion couple. The light above them faintly tinted their tan fur a pink color. They stared deeply into one another's eyes as their tails intertwined beneath the table. Across from them sat a family of foxes. The grandfather was gesturing with his paws as he told a whimsical story to his grandkits - all of them listening intently. Nick chuckled as he saw the awed looks on the kits' faces; they were hanging on every single word.

"Nick."

The fox turned his attention back to his bunny, who had a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Sorry, Carrots," Nick apologized. "I was lost in thought. What were you saying?"

"I was saying," Judy said. "What do you think about moving?"

"Moving?" Nick asked. He found it odd that _Judy_ was the one bringing this topic up; _he_ typically tried to ask Judy about it, and that was often when Bucky and Pronk were ruining a "moment."

"Yes," Judy replied. "Moving. _Specifically_ , moving away from our neighbors. We could find someplace closer to the ZPD. That way, we wouldn't have to rush to get ready. We could even take our time at Snarlbucks so you don't spill coffee all over yourself again."

Nick chuckled. "White Chocolate Mocha is a great scent for me, Carrots. You don't want me using the same, boring cologne every day, right?"

"First off, I _like_ that cologne," Judy retorted, smiling. "Secondly, White Chocolate Mocha does not mix well with Wet Fox!"

The two shared a good laugh, the air about them light and friendly. Gone were the final traces of stress from the previous case, gone were the worries and doubts. They were free to be themselves again.

It felt wonderful.

"Anyway," Judy said after their laughter died down. "I'd like to know your answer, Nick. The sooner we move, the better."

Nick leaned forward, his paws finding hers. He looked deeply into her eyes as a blush crept over her cheeks. _Always so emotional_ Nick thought affectionately.

"Judy, tonight is _just_ about us. Nothing more, nothing less. We'll talk about moving tomorrow; I promise," he said.

Judy smiled sheepishly. "Alright," she said, bowing her head. Why was he _such_ a charmer? Not for the first time, she gently cursed herself for melting so easily under his gaze.

She felt his paw under her chin as Nick gently lifted her muzzle towards his. His sparkling, emerald eyes were filled with love as he beheld his bunny. Judy lost herself in his gaze as a warm, fuzzy feeling enveloped her.

She _loved_ her fox; he _loved_ his bunny.

"Nick," she whispered, their muzzles inching closer.

"Yes?" he whispered back, a sly smile in his eyes.

"We should take desert home. I've got a certain someone who I want to spend some _quality time_ with."

Nick chuckled softly. "I had a feeling I was gonna get lucky tonight," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. "What do you want?"

"That chocolate cake topped with ice cream and hot fudge sounds _amazing_ right now," she whispered.

"Agreed," Nick said as he pulled his bunny in for a kiss.

* * *

The fox chuckled as he watched the couple across the restaurant. He could tell that they were _perfect_ for each other. She could keep him in check, and he would always challenge her; however, they would never step over the others boundaries. Never before had the fox felt so proud. . .

And disheartened.

He casually sipped his cherry martini; a drink too fruity for most animals, but he enjoyed it. The fox and bunny broke their kiss and flagged down the waiter. _Probably ordering desert,_ the fox thought, smiling. He wasn't surprised when, a few minutes later, the waiter brought them an ice cream-topped chocolate cake in a to-go box. _Good choice, Nick,_ the fox thought.

The fox was dressed much like Nick: a tuxedo, bow tie, and black slacks. That was where the similarities ended, though. The fox wore an exquisite, silver watch on his left wrist, and a rose was pinned to his tuxedo.

At first glance, this fox wouldn't look a day over thirty years old: His fur gave off a healthy glow, and his emerald eyes shone brightly. Upon closer look, however, one could see that his dark orange fur was littered with small strands of gray, especially in his tail.

After paying the bill, the couple stood up to leave. As they walked by, the fox ducked his head on impulse. He chuckled; there was no reason for Nick to recognize him.

 _You had better keep her close, Nick,_ the fox thought, a dark smile creeping over his muzzle. _Because I've got_ big _plans for you and the city. Big plans indeed._

The fox chuckled as he took another sip of his drink.

 


End file.
